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Spatial reasoning skills have been linked to success in STEM and are considered an important part of geoscience problem solving. Most agree that these are a group of skills rather than a single ability, though there is no agreement on the full list of constituent skills. Few studies have attempted to isolate specific spatial skills for deliberate training. We conducted an experiment to isolate and train the skill of recognizing horizontal (a crucial component in measuring the orientation of planes) using a dedicated Virtual Reality (VR) module. We recruited 21 undergraduate students from natural science and social science majors for the study, which consisted of a pretest, 15-minute training, and posttest. The pre- and posttests consisted of a short multiple choice vocabulary quiz, 5 hand-drawn and 5 multiple choice Water Level Task (WLT) questions, and the Vandenberg and Kuse Mental Rotation Task (MRT). Participants were sorted based on pre-test Water Level Task scores, only those with scores <80% were placed in an intervention group and randomly assigned to training, either in VR (experimental) or on paper (standard), of about 15 minutes. The high-scoring participants received no training (comparison). All three groups of participants completed a posttest after the training (if any). After removing three participants who did not return for the posttest session, we had 18 participants in total: 6 in VR, 7 in the comparison group, and 5 in the standard group. Repeated measures ANOVA of the pre to post hand-drawn WLT scores shows at least one group is different (p=.002) and Tukey’s Post-Hoc analysis indicates that the VR group improved significantly more that the high-scoring comparison group (Mean Difference = -1.857, p = .001) and the standard group (Mean Difference = -1.200, p = .049). While any significant result is encouraging, a major limitation of this study is the small sample size and unequal variances on both the pretest (Levene’s HOV test, F = 7.50, p = .006) and posttest (F = 13.53, p < .001), despite random assignment. More trials are needed to demonstrate reproducibility. While more tests are needed, this preliminary study shows the potential benefit of VR in training spatial reasoning skills.
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Immersive Real-Time Biofeedback Optimized With Enhanced Expectancies Improves Motor Learning: A Feasibility Study
Context: An Optimizing Performance through Intrinsic Motivation and Attention for Learning theory-based motor learning intervention delivering autonomy support and enhanced expectancies (EE) shows promise for reducing cognitive-motor dual-task costs, or the relative difference in primary task performance when completed with and without a secondary cognitive task, that facilitate adaptive injury-resistant movement response. The current pilot study sought to determine the effectiveness of an autonomy support versus an EE-enhanced virtual reality motor learning intervention to reduce dual-task costs during single-leg balance. Design: Within-subjects 3 × 3 trial. Methods: Twenty-one male and 24 female participants, between the ages of 18 and 30 years, with no history of concussion, vertigo, lower-extremity surgery, or lower-extremity injuries the previous 6 months, were recruited for training sessions on consecutive days. Training consisted of 5 × 8 single-leg squats on each leg, during which all participants mimicked an avatar through virtual reality goggles. The autonomy support group chose an avatar color, and the EE group received positive kinematic biofeedback. Baseline, immediate, and delayed retention testing consisted of single-leg balancing under single- and dual-task conditions. Mixed-model analysis of variances compared dual-task costs for center of pressure velocity and SD between groups on each limb. Results: On the right side, dual-task costs for anterior–posterior center of pressure mean and SD were reduced in the EE group (mean Δ = −51.40, Cohen d = 0.80 and SD Δ = −66.00%, Cohen d = 0.88) compared with the control group (mean Δ = −22.09, Cohen d = 0.33 and SD Δ = −36.10%, Cohen d = 0.68) from baseline to immediate retention. Conclusions: These findings indicate that EE strategies that can be easily implemented in a clinic or sport setting may be superior to task-irrelevant AS approaches for influencing injury-resistant movement adaptations.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1924278
- PAR ID:
- 10357307
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Sport Rehabilitation
- ISSN:
- 1056-6716
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 1 to 8
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.1123/jsr.2021-0226
