The Complex Interaction Between the Sense of Presence, Movement Features, and Performance in a Virtual Reality Spatial Task: A Preliminary Study

The present study explores the innovative application of virtual reality (VR) in conducting the Radial Arm Maze (RAM) task, a performance-based test traditionally utilized for assessing spatial memory. This study aimed to develop a gamified version of the RAM implemented in immersive VR and investigate the interaction between the sense of presence, movement features, and performance within the RAM. We developed software supporting a head-mounted display (HMD), addressing prior limitations in the scientific literature concerning user interaction, data collection accuracy, operational flexibility, and immersion level. This study involved a sample of healthy young adults who engaged with the immersive VR version of the RAM, examining the influence of VR experience variables (sense of presence, motion sickness, and usability) on RAM performance. Notably, it also introduced the collection and analysis of movement features within the VR environment to ascertain their impact on performance outcomes and their relationship with VR experience variables. The VR application developed is notable for its user-friendliness, adaptability, and integration capability with physiological monitoring devices, marking a significant advance in utilizing VR for cognitive assessments. Findings from our study underscore the importance of VR experience factors in RAM performance, highlighting how a heightened sense of presence can predict better performance, thereby emphasizing engagement and immersion as crucial for task success in VR settings. Additionally, this study revealed how movement parameters within the VR environment, specifically speed and directness, significantly influence RAM performance, offering new insights into optimizing VR experiences for enhanced task performance.