Binsch Olaf, Bottenheft Charelle, Landman Annemarie, Roijendijk Linsey, Vermetten Eric H G J M
Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), Department of Human Performance, Soesterberg, The Netherlands.
Ministry of Defense, Central Military Hospital, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Mil Psychol. 2021 Apr 26;33(3):182-196. doi: 10.1080/08995605.2021.1897494. eCollection 2021.
The current study explores whether different stressors in a virtual reality (VR) military training scenario cause increases in physiological stress. This would validate the use of VR simulation for stress training, as well as the physiological monitoring of trainees for educational purposes. Military cadets ( = 63) performed a patrol scenario (military convoy) in which they answered questions about their surroundings. Stressors (task difficulty, noise, lighting changes, social evaluations, electric muscle stimulation, and a simulated attack on the convoy) were stepwise added in four phases. Electrocardiogram, blood pressure, electrodermal activity, cortisol, and the cadets' subjective threat/challenge appraisal were measured. We found that only the first phase caused a significant increase in physiological stress, as measured with heart rate, heart rate variability, and electrodermal activity. Physiological stress appeared to stay high in the second phase as well, but decreased to baseline level in the third and fourth phases, even though these phases were designed to be the most stressful. Cadets classified as threat responders based on physiological data ( = 3) scored significantly higher on subjective threat/challenge appraisal than those classified as challenge responders ( = 21). It seems that in the tested VR training scenario, the novelty of the scenario was the only effective stress stimuli, whereas the other implemented stressors did not cause a measurable physiological response. We conclude that if VR training scenarios are to be used for stress training, these should confront trainees with unpredictable but context-specific demands.
本研究探讨虚拟现实（VR）军事训练场景中的不同应激源是否会导致生理应激增加。这将验证VR模拟在应激训练中的应用，以及出于教育目的对受训人员进行生理监测的有效性。军校学员（n = 63）进行了一次巡逻场景（军事车队）演练，期间他们要回答有关周围环境的问题。应激源（任务难度、噪音、光照变化、社会评价、肌肉电刺激以及对车队的模拟攻击）分四个阶段逐步添加。测量了心电图、血压、皮肤电活动、皮质醇以及学员的主观威胁/挑战评估。我们发现，仅第一阶段导致生理应激显著增加，这是通过心率、心率变异性和皮肤电活动来衡量的。生理应激在第二阶段似乎也保持在较高水平，但在第三和第四阶段降至基线水平，尽管这两个阶段被设计为压力最大的阶段。根据生理数据被归类为威胁反应者的学员（n = 3）在主观威胁/挑战评估上的得分显著高于被归类为挑战反应者的学员（n = 21）。在测试的VR训练场景中，似乎场景的新颖性是唯一有效的应激刺激因素，而其他实施的应激源并未引起可测量的生理反应。我们得出结论，如果要将VR训练场景用于应激训练，这些场景应让受训人员面对不可预测但特定情境的要求。
