Examination of Psychological and Physiological Differences in Real and Digital Worlds
Immersive virtual environments (IVEs) have proven to be valuable tools in the field of architecture and environmental psychology. A recent study, conducted jointly by the Leibniz Institute for Educational Trajectories (LIfBi) and Goethe University Frankfurt, supported by the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft), aimed to validate the use of IVEs in researching the effects of the built environment on users' cognitive responses.
The study consisted of two phases. In the first phase, the sense of presence in the generated IVE was analysed. The virtual classroom used in the study was carefully crafted to provide an accurate simulation of a physical classroom. The results showed that the IVE was successful in evoking a response similar to the space it was simulating.
The second phase compared the psychological and neurophysiological responses of subjects in physical and IVE classrooms. The psychological response was measured through attention and memory tasks, while physiological response was recorded via electroencephalogram, electrocardiogram, and electrodermal activity.
Interestingly, the study did not find any significant differences in the psychological or physiological responses between physical and IVE classrooms. This finding supports the use of IVEs as a cost-effective and efficient alternative to physical environments for research purposes.
The results of this study may be of great interest to architecture researchers and professionals. They validate IVE systems as tools to study the effects of the built environment on users' cognitive responses, and may encourage the use of IVEs in architectural education and design. By offering a more flexible and accessible means of evaluating design concepts, IVEs could revolutionise the way we approach architecture and environmental psychology research.
In conclusion, this validation study provides compelling evidence for the use of IVEs in researching the effects of the built environment on users' cognitive responses. As technology continues to advance, we can expect to see IVEs becoming increasingly integrated into the field of architecture and environmental psychology.
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