A Virtual Object-Location Task for Children: Gender and Videogame Experience Influence Navigation

[EN] The use of virtual reality-based tasks for studying memory has increased considerably. Most of the studies that have looked at child population factors that influence performance on such tasks have been focused on cognitive variables. However, Little attention has been paid to the impact of non...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Rodríguez-Andrés, D., Mendez-Lopez, M., Perez-Hernandez, E., Juan, M. Carmen|||0000-0002-8764-1470
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2018
País:España
Institución:Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV)
Repositorio:RiuNet. Repositorio Institucional de la Universitat Politécnica de Valéncia
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:riunet.upv.es:10251/147307
Acceso en línea:https://riunet.upv.es/handle/10251/147307
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Virtual environment
Behavior
Emotion
Short-term memory
Visuospatial skill
Children
LENGUAJES Y SISTEMAS INFORMATICOS
Descripción
Sumario:[EN] The use of virtual reality-based tasks for studying memory has increased considerably. Most of the studies that have looked at child population factors that influence performance on such tasks have been focused on cognitive variables. However, Little attention has been paid to the impact of non-cognitive skills. In the present paper, we tested 52 typically-developing children aged 5¿12 years in a virtual object-location task. The task assessed their spatial short-term memory for the location of three objects in a virtual city. The virtual task environment was presented using a 3D application consisting of a 12000 stereoscopic screen and a gamepad interface. Measures of learning and displacement indicators in the virtual environment, 3D perception, satisfaction, and usability were obtained. We assessed the children¿s videogame experience, their visuospatial span, their ability to build blocks, and emotional and behavioral outcomes. The results indicate that learning improved with age. Significant effects on the speed of navigation were found favoring boys and those more experienced with videogames. Visuospatial skills correlated mainly with ability to recall object positions, but the correlation was weak. Longer paths were related with higher scores of withdrawal behavior, attention problems, and a lower visuospatial span. Aggressiveness and experience with the device used for interaction were related with faster navigation. However, the correlations indicated only weak associations among these variables.