Stress regulation is a crucial capability for personnel operating in high-risk environments such as firefighters and soldiers. With the development of advanced virtual reality (VR) technologies, new opportunities arise for training in both critical situations and stress regulation. This article presents a novel VR-based training concept that integrates biofeedback to enhance stress regulation techniques. A serious game was created and developed in Unity 3D where players are tasked with escaping a complex multi-story burning building. The game incorporates various cognitive tasks such as remembering and recalling codes to unlock doors. A time constraint for task completion was implemented to further amplify stress. Stress levels are monitored using the heart rate variability derived from cardiovascular data collected via a Polar heart rate sensor. The current stress level is visualized to the user through modifications in their field of view during gameplay; heightened stress induces a “tunnel vision” effect, while relaxation restores the field of view. A pilot study with N = 7 participants demonstrated the proof of concept, suggesting that this biofeedback-enhanced VR training represents a promising initial step towards effective stress regulation training in applied settings.

错误:搜索内容不能为空,请输入英文关键词
错误:关键词超出字数限制,请精简
高级检索

Biofeedback-Enhanced Virtual Reality Training for Stress Regulation: Concept and Pilot Study Results

  • Jessica Schwarz,
  • Markus Kelter,
  • Mara Baljan

摘要

Stress regulation is a crucial capability for personnel operating in high-risk environments such as firefighters and soldiers. With the development of advanced virtual reality (VR) technologies, new opportunities arise for training in both critical situations and stress regulation. This article presents a novel VR-based training concept that integrates biofeedback to enhance stress regulation techniques. A serious game was created and developed in Unity 3D where players are tasked with escaping a complex multi-story burning building. The game incorporates various cognitive tasks such as remembering and recalling codes to unlock doors. A time constraint for task completion was implemented to further amplify stress. Stress levels are monitored using the heart rate variability derived from cardiovascular data collected via a Polar heart rate sensor. The current stress level is visualized to the user through modifications in their field of view during gameplay; heightened stress induces a “tunnel vision” effect, while relaxation restores the field of view. A pilot study with N = 7 participants demonstrated the proof of concept, suggesting that this biofeedback-enhanced VR training represents a promising initial step towards effective stress regulation training in applied settings.