1
|
Puthusseryppady V, Cossio D, Yu S, Rezwana F, Hegarty M, Jacobs EG, Chrastil ER. Less spatial exploration is associated with poorer spatial memory in midlife adults. Front Aging Neurosci 2024; 16:1382801. [PMID: 38919601 PMCID: PMC11196421 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2024.1382801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Despite its importance for navigation, very little is known about how the normal aging process affects spatial exploration behavior. We aimed to investigate: (1) how spatial exploration behavior may be altered early in the aging process, (2) the relationship between exploration behavior and subsequent spatial memory, and (3) whether exploration behavior can classify participants according to age. Methods Fifty healthy young (aged 18-28) and 87 healthy midlife adults (aged 43-61) freely explored a desktop virtual maze, learning the locations of nine target objects. Various exploration behaviors (object visits, distance traveled, turns made, etc.) were measured. In the test phase, participants navigated from one target object to another without feedback, and their wayfinding success (% correct trials) was measured. Results In the exploration phase, midlife adults exhibited less exploration overall compared to young adults, and prioritized learning target object locations over maze layout. In the test phase, midlife adults exhibited less wayfinding success when compared to the young adults. Furthermore, following principal components analysis (PCA), regression analyses indicated that both exploration quantity and quality components were associated with wayfinding success in the midlife group, but not the young adults. Finally, we could classify participants according to age with similar accuracy using either their exploration behavior or wayfinding success scores. Discussion Our results aid in the understanding of how aging impacts spatial exploration, and encourages future investigations into how pathological aging may affect spatial exploration behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vaisakh Puthusseryppady
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Daniela Cossio
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Shuying Yu
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Farnaz Rezwana
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Mary Hegarty
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Emily G. Jacobs
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Elizabeth R. Chrastil
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Theta oscillations support active exploration in human spatial navigation. Neuroimage 2022; 262:119581. [PMID: 35995375 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Active navigation seems to yield better spatial knowledge than passive navigation, but it is unclear how active decision-making influences learning and memory. Here, we examined the contributions of theta oscillations to memory-related exploration while testing theories about how they contribute to active learning. Using electroencephalography (EEG), we tested individuals on a maze-learning task in which they made discrete decisions about where to explore at each choice point in the maze. Half the participants were free to make active decisions at each choice point, and the other half passively explored by selecting a marked choice (matched to active exploration) at each intersection. Critically, all decisions were made when stationary, decoupling the active decision-making process from movement and speed factors, which is another prominent potential role for theta oscillations. Participants were then tested on their knowledge of the maze by traveling from object A to object B within the maze. Results show an advantage for active decision-making during learning and indicate that the active group had greater theta power during choice points in exploration, particularly in midfrontal channels. These findings demonstrate that active exploration is associated with theta oscillations during human spatial navigation, and that these oscillations are not exclusively related to movement or speed. Results demonstrating increased theta oscillations in prefrontal regions suggest communication with the hippocampus and integration of new information into memory. We also found evidence for alpha oscillations during active navigation, suggesting a role for attention as well. This study finds support for a general mnemonic role for theta oscillations during navigational learning.
Collapse
|
3
|
Sanchez DR, Weiner E, Van Zelderen A. Virtual reality assessments (VRAs): Exploring the reliability and validity of evaluations in VR. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SELECTION AND ASSESSMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/ijsa.12369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Diana R. Sanchez
- Department of Psychology San Francisco State University San Francisco California USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
Sex Differences and the Role of Gaming Experience in Spatial Cognition Performance in Primary School Children: An Exploratory Study. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11070886. [PMID: 34356121 PMCID: PMC8301968 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11070886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex differences are repeatedly observed in spatial cognition tasks. However, the role of environmental factors such as gaming experience remains unclear. In this exploratory study, navigation and object-relocation were combined in a naturalistic virtual reality-based spatial task. The sample consisted of n = 53 Dutch children aged 9–11 years. Overall, girls (n = 24) and boys (n = 29) performed equally accurately, although there was an increase in accuracy with age for boys (ηp2 = 0.09). Boys navigated faster than girls (ηp2 = 0.29), and this difference increased with age (ηp2 = 0.07). More gaming experience in boys versus girls (Cohen’s d = 0.88) did not explain any result observed. We encourage future confirmatory studies to use the paradigm presented here to investigate the current results in a larger sample. These findings could be beneficial for optimizing spatial cognition training interventions.
Collapse
|
5
|
Abstract
The aim of the current study was to develop a novel task that allows for the quick assessment of spatial memory precision with minimal technical and training requirements. In this task, participants memorized the position of an object in a virtual room and then judged from a different perspective, whether the object has moved to the left or to the right. Results revealed that participants exhibited a systematic bias in their responses that we termed the reversed congruency effect. Specifically, they performed worse when the camera and the object moved in the same direction than when they moved in opposite directions. Notably, participants responded correctly in almost 100% of the incongruent trials, regardless of the distance by which the object was displaced. In Experiment 2, we showed that this effect cannot be explained by the movement of the object on the screen, but that it relates to the perspective shift and the movement of the object in the virtual world. We also showed that the presence of additional objects in the environment reduces the reversed congruency effect such that it no longer predicts performance. In Experiment 3, we showed that the reversed congruency effect is greater in older adults, suggesting that the quality of spatial memory and perspective-taking abilities are critical. Overall, our results suggest that this effect is driven by difficulties in the precise encoding of object locations in the environment and in understanding how perspective shifts affect the projected positions of the objects in the two-dimensional image.
Collapse
|
6
|
Iaria G, Slone E. The relationship between mental and physical space and its impact on topographical disorientation. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2021; 178:195-211. [PMID: 33832677 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-821377-3.00009-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
We generate mental representations of space to facilitate our ability to remember things and navigate our environment. Many studies implicitly assume that these representations simply reflect the environments that they represent without considering other factors that influence the extent to which this is the case. Here, we bring together findings from cognitive psychology, environmental psychology, geography, urban planning, and neuroscience to discuss how internalizing the environment involves a complex interplay between bottom-up and top-down mental processes and depends on key characteristics of the physical environment itself. We describe how mental space is structured, the ways in which mental and physical space converge and diverge, and the disparate but complementary techniques used to assess these relationships. Finally, we contextualize this knowledge in the clinical populations affected by acquired and developmental topographical disorientation, exploring mechanisms that cause these patients to get lost in familiar surroundings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Iaria
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
| | - Edward Slone
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Yang JC, Chen SY. An investigation of game behavior in the context of digital game-based learning: An individual difference perspective. COMPUTERS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2020.106432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
|
8
|
Juliano JM, Liew SL. Transfer of motor skill between virtual reality viewed using a head-mounted display and conventional screen environments. J Neuroeng Rehabil 2020; 17:48. [PMID: 32276664 PMCID: PMC7149857 DOI: 10.1186/s12984-020-00678-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 04/01/2020] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Virtual reality viewed using a head-mounted display (HMD-VR) has the potential to be a useful tool for motor learning and rehabilitation. However, when developing tools for these purposes, it is important to design applications that will effectively transfer to the real world. Therefore, it is essential to understand whether motor skills transfer between HMD-VR and conventional screen-based environments and what factors predict transfer. METHODS We randomized 70 healthy participants into two groups. Both groups trained on a well-established measure of motor skill acquisition, the Sequential Visual Isometric Pinch Task (SVIPT), either in HMD-VR or in a conventional environment (i.e., computer screen). We then tested whether the motor skills transferred from HMD-VR to the computer screen, and vice versa. After the completion of the experiment, participants responded to questions relating to their presence in their respective training environment, age, gender, video game use, and previous HMD-VR experience. Using multivariate and univariate linear regression, we then examined whether any personal factors from the questionnaires predicted individual differences in motor skill transfer between environments. RESULTS Our results suggest that motor skill acquisition of this task occurs at the same rate in both HMD-VR and conventional screen environments. However, the motor skills acquired in HMD-VR did not transfer to the screen environment. While this decrease in motor skill performance when moving to the screen environment was not significantly predicted by self-reported factors, there were trends for correlations with presence and previous HMD-VR experience. Conversely, motor skills acquired in a conventional screen environment not only transferred but improved in HMD-VR, and this increase in motor skill performance could be predicted by self-reported factors of presence, gender, age and video game use. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that personal factors may predict who is likely to have better transfer of motor skill to and from HMD-VR. Future work should examine whether these and other predictors (i.e., additional personal factors such as immersive tendencies and task-specific factors such as fidelity or feedback) also apply to motor skill transfer from HMD-VR to more dynamic physical environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julia M Juliano
- Neural Plasticity and Neurorehabilitation Laboratory, Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Sook-Lei Liew
- Neural Plasticity and Neurorehabilitation Laboratory, Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- USC Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Department of Neurology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Burles F, Liu I, Hart C, Murias K, Graham SA, Iaria G. The Emergence of Cognitive Maps for Spatial Navigation in 7- to 10-Year-Old Children. Child Dev 2019; 91:e733-e744. [PMID: 31286504 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2018] [Revised: 04/02/2019] [Accepted: 04/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Although much is known about adults' ability to orient by means of cognitive maps (mental representations of the environment), it is less clear when this important ability emerges in development. In the present study, 97 seven- to 10-year-olds and 26 adults played a video game designed to investigate the ability to orient using cognitive maps. The game required participants to reach target locations as quickly as possible, necessitating the identification and use of novel shortcuts. Seven- and 8-year-olds were less effective than older children and adults in using shortcuts. These findings provide clear evidence of a distinct developmental change around 9 years of age when children begin to proficiently orient and navigate using cognitive maps.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ford Burles
- University of Calgary.,University of Toronto
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
10
|
Caplan JB, Legge EL, Cheng B, Madan CR. Effectiveness of the method of loci is only minimally related to factors that should influence imagined navigation. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2019; 72:2541-2553. [PMID: 31272296 DOI: 10.1177/1747021819858041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The method of loci is arguably the most famous mnemonic strategy and is highly effective for memorising lists of non-spatial information in order. As described and instructed, this strategy apparently relies on a spatial/navigational metaphor. The user imagines moving through an environment, placing (study) and reporting (recall) list items along the way. However, whether the method relies critically on this spatial/navigation metaphor is unknown. An alternative hypothesis is that the navigation component is superfluous to memory success, and the method of loci is better viewed as a special case of a larger class of imagery-based peg strategies. Training participants on three virtual environments varying in their characteristics (an apartment, an open field, and a radial-arm maze), we asked participants to use each trained environment as the basis of the method of loci to learn five 11-word lists. Performance varied significantly across environment. However, the effects were small in magnitude. Further tests suggested that navigation-relevant knowledge and ability were not major determinants of success in verbal memory, even for participants who were confirmed to have been compliant with the strategy. These findings echo neuroimaging findings that navigation-based cognition does occur during application of the method of loci, but imagined navigation is unlikely to be directly responsible for its effectiveness. Instead, the method of loci may be best viewed as a variant of peg methods.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy B Caplan
- 1 Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.,2 Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Eric Lg Legge
- 1 Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.,3 Department of Psychology, MacEwan University, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Bevin Cheng
- 1 Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Christopher R Madan
- 1 Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.,4 School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
|
12
|
Coutrot A, Schmidt S, Coutrot L, Pittman J, Hong L, Wiener JM, Hölscher C, Dalton RC, Hornberger M, Spiers HJ. Virtual navigation tested on a mobile app is predictive of real-world wayfinding navigation performance. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0213272. [PMID: 30883560 PMCID: PMC6422266 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0213272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2018] [Accepted: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Virtual reality environments presented on tablets and smartphones have potential to aid the early diagnosis of conditions such as Alzheimer’s dementia by quantifying impairments in navigation performance. However, it is unclear whether performance on mobile devices can predict navigation errors in the real world. We compared the performance of 49 participants (25 females, 18-35 years old) at wayfinding and path integration tasks designed in our mobile app ‘Sea Hero Quest’ with their performance at similar tasks in a real-world environment. We first performed this experiment in the streets of London (UK) and replicated it in Paris (France). In both cities, we found a significant correlation between virtual and real-world wayfinding performance and a male advantage in both environments, although smaller in the real world (Cohen’s d in the game = 0.89, in the real world = 0.59). Results in London and Paris were highly similar, and controlling for familiarity with video games did not change the results. The strength of the correlation between real world and virtual environment increased with the difficulty of the virtual wayfinding task, indicating that Sea Hero Quest does not merely capture video gaming skills. The fact that the Sea Hero Quest wayfinding task has real-world ecological validity constitutes a step toward controllable, sensitive, safe, low-cost, and easy to administer digital cognitive assessment of navigation ability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Coutrot
- Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Numérique de Nantes - CNRS - Université de Nantes, Nantes, France
- * E-mail: (AC); (MH); (HS)
| | - Sophie Schmidt
- Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lena Coutrot
- Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Institut Jean Nicod, ENS, EHESS, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Jessica Pittman
- Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lynn Hong
- Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jan M. Wiener
- Department of Psychology, Ageing and Dementia Research Centre, Bournemouth University, Poole, United Kingdom
| | | | - Ruth C. Dalton
- Department of Architecture and Built Environment, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Hornberger
- Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (AC); (MH); (HS)
| | - Hugo J. Spiers
- Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (AC); (MH); (HS)
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Diersch N, Wolbers T. The potential of virtual reality for spatial navigation research across the adult lifespan. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 222:222/Suppl_1/jeb187252. [PMID: 30728232 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.187252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Older adults often experience serious problems in spatial navigation, and alterations in underlying brain structures are among the first indicators for a progression to neurodegenerative diseases. Studies investigating the neural mechanisms of spatial navigation and its changes across the adult lifespan are increasingly using virtual reality (VR) paradigms. VR offers major benefits in terms of ecological validity, experimental control and options to track behavioral responses. However, navigation in the real world differs from navigation in VR in several aspects. In addition, the importance of body-based or visual cues for navigation varies between animal species. Incongruences between sensory and motor input in VR might consequently affect their performance to a different degree. After discussing the specifics of using VR in spatial navigation research across species, we outline several challenges when investigating age-related deficits in spatial navigation with the help of VR. In addition, we discuss ways to reduce their impact, together with the possibilities VR offers for improving navigational abilities in older adults.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nadine Diersch
- Aging & Cognition Research Group, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Wolbers
- Aging & Cognition Research Group, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 39120 Magdeburg, Germany.,Center for Behavioural Brain Sciences (CBBS), Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany.,Medical Faculty, University Hospital Magdeburg, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Navigation in virtual environments using head-mounted displays: Allocentric vs. egocentric behaviors. COMPUTERS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2017.11.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
|
15
|
Wang Q, Taylor HA, Brunyé TT. Action compatibility in spatial knowledge developed through virtual navigation. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2018; 84:177-191. [PMID: 29318375 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-018-0972-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2017] [Accepted: 01/02/2018] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Action-compatibility effects (ACEs) arise due to incongruity between perceptuo-motor traces stored in memory and the perceptuo-motor demands of a retrieval task. Recent research has suggested that ACEs arising during spatial memory retrieval are additionally modulated by individual differences in how experienced participants are with a college campus environment. However, the extent and nature of experience with a real-world environment is difficult to assess and control, and characteristics of the retrieval task itself might modulate ACEs during spatial memory retrieval. The present study provides a more controlled and in-depth examination of how individual differences and task-based factors interact to shape ACEs when participants retrieve spatial memories. In two experiments, participants with varied video game experience learned a virtual environment and then used the computer mouse to verify spatial relationships from different perspectives. Mouse trajectories demonstrated ACEs, differing by retrieval perspective and video game experience. Videogame experts demonstrated the ACE based on learned spatial relationships during egocentric retrieval only, whereas videogame novices showed the ACE based on semantic processing of directional terms only. Specifically, gaming experts invoke perspective-specific perceptuo-motor associations to retrieve spatial knowledge, whereas non-experts are influenced by semantically based associations specific to the retrieval task. Results are discussed in the context of action-compatibility effects, the intentional weighting hypothesis, and the flexible encoding and retrieval of spatial information.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qi Wang
- Department of Psychology, Sun Yat-Sen University, 132 Waihuan Donglu, Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou, 510275, China. .,Department of Psychology, Tufts University, 490 Boston Ave., Medford, MA, 02155, USA.
| | - Holly A Taylor
- Department of Psychology, Tufts University, 490 Boston Ave., Medford, MA, 02155, USA.,Center for Applied Brain & Cognitive Sciences, 200 Boston Ave., Suite 3000, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Tad T Brunyé
- Department of Psychology, Tufts University, 490 Boston Ave., Medford, MA, 02155, USA.,Center for Applied Brain & Cognitive Sciences, 200 Boston Ave., Suite 3000, Medford, MA, 02155, USA.,U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center, RDNS-SEW-THC, Kansas St., Natick, MA, 01760, USA
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
The experimental analysis of problematic video gaming and cognitive skills: A systematic review. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtcc.2017.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
|
17
|
Brunyé TT, Wood MD, Houck LA, Taylor HA. The path more travelled: Time pressure increases reliance on familiar route-based strategies during navigation. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2016; 70:1439-1452. [PMID: 27156528 DOI: 10.1080/17470218.2016.1187637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Navigating large-scale environments involves dynamic interactions between the physical world and individuals' knowledge, goals, and strategies. Time pressure can result from self-imposed goals or relatively dynamic situational factors that induce varied constraints. While time pressure is ubiquitous in daily life and has been shown to influence affective states, cost-benefit analyses, and strategy selection, its influence on navigation behaviour is unknown. The present study examined how introducing varied time constraints during virtual urban navigation would influence spatial strategies and impact the efficiency and effectiveness of goal-directed wayfinding. Participants learned a large-scale urban virtual environment by wayfinding between a series of 20 successive landmark goals (e.g., You have reached the Theater. Now find the Bank.). A day later, they again performed the same task, but landmark-to-landmark trials were characterized by conditions of low-, moderate-, or high-pressure time limits as quantified by a pilot experiment. As time pressure increased, participants more likely navigated along previously experienced paths and less likely travelled in the global direction of the destination. Results suggest strategy shifts under time constraints that increase reliance on egocentric, route-based strategies and decrease reliance on global configural knowledge, probably in an attempt to reduce cognitive demands and support performance under pressure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tad T Brunyé
- a Center for Applied Brain & Cognitive Sciences , Medford , MA , USA.,b Department of Psychology , Tufts University , Medford , MA , USA.,c Cognitive Science Team, U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development, and Engineering Center , Natick , MA , USA
| | - Matthew D Wood
- d Risk and Decision Sciences, U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers , Vicksburg , MS , USA
| | - Lindsay A Houck
- a Center for Applied Brain & Cognitive Sciences , Medford , MA , USA.,c Cognitive Science Team, U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development, and Engineering Center , Natick , MA , USA
| | - Holly A Taylor
- a Center for Applied Brain & Cognitive Sciences , Medford , MA , USA.,b Department of Psychology , Tufts University , Medford , MA , USA
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Murias K, Kwok K, Castillejo AG, Liu I, Iaria G. The effects of video game use on performance in a virtual navigation task. COMPUTERS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2016.01.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
|
19
|
Pintzka CWS, Evensmoen HR, Lehn H, Håberg AK. Changes in spatial cognition and brain activity after a single dose of testosterone in healthy women. Behav Brain Res 2015; 298:78-90. [PMID: 26542812 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2015.10.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2015] [Revised: 10/24/2015] [Accepted: 10/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Studies have consistently shown that males perform better than females on several spatial tasks. Animal and human literature suggests that sex hormones have an important role in both establishing and maintaining this difference. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of exogenous testosterone on spatial cognition and brain activity in healthy women. A cross-sectional, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study was performed in 42 healthy young women who either received one dose of 0.5mg sublingual testosterone or placebo. They then learned a virtual environment and performed navigation tasks during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Subsequently, their knowledge of the virtual environment, self-reported navigation strategy, and mental rotation abilities were measured. The testosterone group had improved representations of the directions within the environment and performed significantly better on the mental rotation task compared to the placebo group, but navigation success and navigation strategy were similar in the two groups. Nevertheless, the testosterone group had significantly increased activity within the medial temporal lobe during successful navigation compared to the placebo group, and a positive correlation between testosterone load and medial temporal lobe activity was found. Fetal testosterone levels, measured as second-to-fourth digit length ratio, interacted significantly with parahippocampal activity and tended towards giving higher mental rotation task scores. These results demonstrated that testosterone had a limited effect pertaining specifically to spatial cognition involving 3D-visualization in healthy women, while complex behaviors such as navigation, relying more on learned strategies, were not altered despite increased neuronal activity in relevant brain regions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carl W S Pintzka
- Department of Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), 7489 Trondheim, Norway; Department of Medical Imaging, St. Olav's Hospital, 7489 Trondheim, Norway.
| | - Hallvard R Evensmoen
- Department of Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), 7489 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Hanne Lehn
- Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), 7489 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Asta K Håberg
- Department of Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), 7489 Trondheim, Norway; Department of Medical Imaging, St. Olav's Hospital, 7489 Trondheim, Norway
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Walkowiak S, Foulsham T, Eardley AF. Individual differences and personality correlates of navigational performance in the virtual route learning task. COMPUTERS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2014.12.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
|
21
|
Examining the Relationship Between Action Video Game Experience and Performance in a Distracted Driving Task. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-015-9318-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
|
22
|
Abstract
We investigate the structure of spatial knowledge that spontaneously develops during free exploration of a novel environment. We present evidence that this structure is similar to a labeled graph: a network of topological connections between places, labeled with local metric information. In contrast to route knowledge, we find that the most frequent routes and detours to target locations had not been traveled during learning. Contrary to purely topological knowledge, participants typically traveled the shortest metric distance to a target, rather than topologically equivalent but longer paths. The results are consistent with the proposal that people learn a labeled graph of their environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth R. Chrastil
- Brown University, Cognitive, Linguistic, & Psychological Sciences, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
- Boston University, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Center for Memory and Brain, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - William H. Warren
- Brown University, Cognitive, Linguistic, & Psychological Sciences, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Wen W, Ishikawa T, Sato T. Instruction of verbal and spatial strategies for the learning about large-scale spaces. LEARNING AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lindif.2014.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
|
24
|
Szalma JL, Schmidt TN, Teo GWL, Hancock PA. Vigilance on the move: video game-based measurement of sustained attention. ERGONOMICS 2014; 57:1315-1336. [PMID: 25001010 DOI: 10.1080/00140139.2014.921329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Vigilance represents the capacity to sustain attention to any environmental source of information over prolonged periods on watch. Most stimuli used in vigilance research over the previous six decades have been relatively simple and often purport to represent important aspects of detection and discrimination tasks in real-world settings. Such displays are most frequently composed of single stimulus presentations in discrete trials against a uniform, often uncluttered background. The present experiment establishes a dynamic, first-person perspective vigilance task in motion using a video-game environment. 'Vigilance on the move' is thus a new paradigm for the study of sustained attention. We conclude that the stress of vigilance extends to the new paradigm, but whether the performance decrement emerges depends upon specific task parameters. The development of the task, the issues to be resolved and the pattern of performance, perceived workload and stress associated with performing such dynamic vigilance are reported. PRACTITIONER SUMMARY The present experiment establishes a dynamic, first-person perspective movement-based vigilance task using a video-game environment. 'Vigilance on the move' is thus a new paradigm for the evaluation of sustained attention in operational environments in which individuals move as they monitor their environment. Issues addressed in task development are described.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J L Szalma
- a Performance Research Laboratory, Psychology Department , University of Central Florida , Orlando, FL , USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
25
|
Kühn S, Gallinat J. Amount of lifetime video gaming is positively associated with entorhinal, hippocampal and occipital volume. Mol Psychiatry 2014; 19:842-7. [PMID: 23958958 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2013.100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2013] [Revised: 05/09/2013] [Accepted: 06/24/2013] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Playing video games is a popular leisure activity among children and adults, and may therefore potentially influence brain structure. We have previously shown a positive association between probability of gray matter (GM) volume in the ventral striatum and frequent video gaming in adolescence. Here we set out to investigate structural correlates of video gaming in adulthood, as the effects observed in adolescents may reflect only a fraction of the potential neural long-term effects seen in adults. On magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of 62 male adults, we computed voxel-based morphometry to explore the correlation of GM with the lifetime amount of video gaming (termed joystick years). We found a significant positive association between GM in bilateral parahippocamal region (entorhinal cortex) and left occipital cortex/inferior parietal lobe and joystick years (P<0.001, corrected for multiple comparisons). An exploratory analysis showed that the entorhinal GM volume can be predicted by the video game genres played, such as logic/puzzle games and platform games contributing positively, and action-based role-playing games contributing negatively. Furthermore, joystick years were positively correlated with hippocampus volume. The association of lifetime amount of video game playing with bilateral entorhinal cortex, hippocampal and occipital GM volume could reflect adaptive neural plasticity related to navigation and visual attention.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S Kühn
- Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Center for Lifespan Psychology, Berlin, Germany
| | - J Gallinat
- Charité University Medicine, St Hedwig-Krankenhaus, Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Berlin, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
The cognitive benefits of dynamic representations in the acquisition of spatial navigation skills. COMPUTERS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2013.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
|
27
|
Serge SR, Priest HA, Durlach PJ, Johnson CI. The effects of static and adaptive performance feedback in game-based training. COMPUTERS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2012.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
|
28
|
Jak AJ, Seelye AM, Jurick SM. Crosswords to Computers: A Critical Review of Popular Approaches to Cognitive Enhancement. Neuropsychol Rev 2013; 23:13-26. [DOI: 10.1007/s11065-013-9226-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2012] [Accepted: 01/29/2013] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
|
29
|
Dresler M, Sandberg A, Ohla K, Bublitz C, Trenado C, Mroczko-Wąsowicz A, Kühn S, Repantis D. Non-pharmacological cognitive enhancement. Neuropharmacology 2013; 64:529-43. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2012.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2012] [Revised: 06/30/2012] [Accepted: 07/02/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
|
30
|
Effects of screen size, viewing angle, and players’ immersion tendencies on game experience. COMPUTERS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2011.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
|
31
|
Richardson AE, Collaer ML. Virtual navigation performance: the relationship to field of view and prior video gaming experience. Percept Mot Skills 2011; 112:477-98. [PMID: 21667757 DOI: 10.2466/22.24.pms.112.2.477-498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Two experiments examined whether learning a virtual environment was influenced by field of view and how it related to prior video gaming experience. In the first experiment, participants (42 men, 39 women; M age = 19.5 yr., SD = 1.8) performed worse on a spatial orientation task displayed with a narrow field of view in comparison to medium and wide field-of-view displays. Counter to initial hypotheses, wide field-of-view displays did not improve performance over medium displays, and this was replicated in a second experiment (30 men, 30 women; M age = 20.4 yr., SD = 1.9) presenting a more complex learning environment. Self-reported video gaming experience correlated with several spatial tasks: virtual environment pointing and tests of Judgment of Line Angle and Position, mental rotation, and Useful Field of View (with correlations between .31 and .45). When prior video gaming experience was included as a covariate, sex differences in spatial tasks disappeared.
Collapse
|