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Updated: Jul 16, 2026
06:28
A Networked Desktop Virtual Reality Setup for Decision Science and Navigation Experiments with Multiple Participants
Published on: August 26, 2018
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Stress affects navigation strategies in immersive virtual reality.
Apurv Varshney1, Mitchell E Munns2, Justin Kasowski3
1Department of Computer Science, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
Scientific Reports
|March 12, 2024
Summary
High-stress situations significantly impair navigation abilities, leading to decreased efficiency and completion rates in virtual environments. Spatial anxiety further exacerbates these navigational challenges.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Human-Computer Interaction
Background:
- Individual differences exist in spatial learning and navigation strategies.
- The impact of high-stress scenarios on navigational abilities remains largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how high-stress conditions affect spatial navigation.
- To examine the role of spatial anxiety in stress-induced navigational deficits.
Main Methods:
- Developed a novel immersive virtual reality (VR) behavioral paradigm for navigation assessment.
- Recruited 48 participants to navigate a virtual maze under non-stress and high-stress conditions.
- Manipulated stress through environmental changes (blocked paths, darkness, music, fog) and time constraints.
Main Results:
- High-stress conditions increased self-reported stress and distance traveled, while decreasing trial completion rates.
- Under stress, participants avoided shortcuts, leading to less efficient navigation.
- Higher trait spatial anxiety correlated with increased stress and reduced navigational efficiency.
Conclusions:
- Navigational abilities are considerably altered under high-stress conditions.
- Stress significantly impairs efficient navigation and problem-solving in dynamic environments.
- Spatial anxiety is a key factor influencing navigational performance under stress.
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