Tor Finseth, Michael C Dorneich, Nir Keren, Warren D Franke, Stephen Vardeman
{"title":"Virtual Reality Adaptive Training for Personalized Stress Inoculation.","authors":"Tor Finseth, Michael C Dorneich, Nir Keren, Warren D Franke, Stephen Vardeman","doi":"10.1177/00187208241241968","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To evaluate a personalized adaptive training program designed for stress prevention using graduated stress exposure.</p><p><strong>Background: </strong>Astronauts in the high-risk space mission environment are prone to performance-impairing stress responses, making preemptive stress inoculation essential for their training.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This work developed an adaptive virtual reality-based system that adjusts environmental stressors based on real-time stress indicators to optimize training stress levels. Sixty-five healthy subjects underwent task training in one of three groups: <i>skill-only</i> (no stressors), <i>fixed-graduated</i> (prescheduled stressor changes), and <i>adaptive</i>. Psychological (subjective stress, task engagement, distress, worry, anxiety, and workload) and physiological (heart rate, heart rate variability, blood pressure, and electrodermal activity) responses were measured.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The <i>adaptive</i> condition showed a significant decrease in heart rate and a decreasing trend in heart rate variability ratio, with no changes in the other training conditions. Distress showed a decreasing trend for the <i>graduated</i> and <i>adaptive</i> conditions. Task engagement showed a significant increase for <i>adaptive</i> and a significant decrease for the <i>graduated</i> condition. All training conditions showed a significant decrease in worry and anxiety and a significant increase in the other heart rate variability metrics.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Although all training conditions mitigated some stress, the preponderance of trial effects for the <i>adaptive</i> condition supports that it is more successful at decreasing stress.</p><p><strong>Application: </strong>The integration of real-time personalized stress exposure within a VR-based training program not only prepares individuals for high-stress situations by preemptively mitigating stress but also customizes stressor levels to the crew member's current state, potentially enhancing resilience to future stressors.</p>","PeriodicalId":56333,"journal":{"name":"Human Factors","volume":" ","pages":"5-20"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9000,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Human Factors","FirstCategoryId":"102","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00187208241241968","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2024/3/28 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Objective: To evaluate a personalized adaptive training program designed for stress prevention using graduated stress exposure.
Background: Astronauts in the high-risk space mission environment are prone to performance-impairing stress responses, making preemptive stress inoculation essential for their training.
Methods: This work developed an adaptive virtual reality-based system that adjusts environmental stressors based on real-time stress indicators to optimize training stress levels. Sixty-five healthy subjects underwent task training in one of three groups: skill-only (no stressors), fixed-graduated (prescheduled stressor changes), and adaptive. Psychological (subjective stress, task engagement, distress, worry, anxiety, and workload) and physiological (heart rate, heart rate variability, blood pressure, and electrodermal activity) responses were measured.
Results: The adaptive condition showed a significant decrease in heart rate and a decreasing trend in heart rate variability ratio, with no changes in the other training conditions. Distress showed a decreasing trend for the graduated and adaptive conditions. Task engagement showed a significant increase for adaptive and a significant decrease for the graduated condition. All training conditions showed a significant decrease in worry and anxiety and a significant increase in the other heart rate variability metrics.
Conclusion: Although all training conditions mitigated some stress, the preponderance of trial effects for the adaptive condition supports that it is more successful at decreasing stress.
Application: The integration of real-time personalized stress exposure within a VR-based training program not only prepares individuals for high-stress situations by preemptively mitigating stress but also customizes stressor levels to the crew member's current state, potentially enhancing resilience to future stressors.
期刊介绍:
Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society publishes peer-reviewed scientific studies in human factors/ergonomics that present theoretical and practical advances concerning the relationship between people and technologies, tools, environments, and systems. Papers published in Human Factors leverage fundamental knowledge of human capabilities and limitations – and the basic understanding of cognitive, physical, behavioral, physiological, social, developmental, affective, and motivational aspects of human performance – to yield design principles; enhance training, selection, and communication; and ultimately improve human-system interfaces and sociotechnical systems that lead to safer and more effective outcomes.