A Virtual Object-Location Task for Children: Gender and Videogame Experience Influence Navigation; Age Impacts Memory...

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• Virtual reality (VR) is increasingly used for memory studies.
• Research on children's VR memory tasks often overlooks non-cognitive factors.
• This study investigates cognitive and non-cognitive influences on VR spatial memory in children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine how age, cognitive skills, and non-cognitive factors affect performance in a VR object-location memory task.
• To understand the relationship between videogame experience and VR task performance.
• To explore the impact of emotional and behavioral outcomes on spatial memory in a virtual environment.

Main Methods:

• 52 typically-developing children (5-12 years) completed a VR object-location task in a virtual city.
• Data collected included learning, navigation, 3D perception, satisfaction, and usability.
• Children's videogame experience, visuospatial skills, block-building ability, and emotional/behavioral outcomes were assessed.

Main Results:

• Learning improved with age.
• Boys and children with more videogame experience showed faster navigation speeds.
• Visuospatial skills weakly correlated with object recall; longer paths linked to withdrawal, attention problems, and lower visuospatial span.
• Aggressiveness and device experience correlated with faster navigation, but associations were weak.

Conclusions:

• Age is a key factor for learning in VR spatial memory tasks.
• Non-cognitive factors, including videogame experience and behavioral traits, influence VR navigation and memory, but with weak correlations.
• VR offers a promising platform for studying child development, highlighting the interplay of cognitive and non-cognitive skills.