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Version: 1.1 Approved

LDO-ID 2016-05-13-02

Title Virtual Reality and Stress Management Training in the Military Forces: A Preliminary Testing ofaA “Human-Centered Virtual Reality Training Design”

Abstract

Military forces perform complex and stressful activities where several emotional and cognitive factors come into play. War, in fact, is perhaps one of the most challenging situations that a individual can experience, made even more the multifaced, changeable, and ambiguos contemporary operating space. The stress experienced in the military operations can lead to major psychological disorders, including PTSD, anxiety, and depression. Stress and anxiety, moreover, reduces operational effectiveness. Although few, if any, individuals are likely to be completely immune to the effects of stress on performance, there are intervening variables, known as moderators that can reduce the performance decrement caused by stress. Interestingly, in recent years, the attention on programs for enhancing psychological resilience, that is the process of coping with or overcoming exposure to adversity or stress, has increased much, and specific training have been developed to support the military personnel. This focus on resilience training prior to deployment represents no less than a quantum shift in military culture, and represent an important shift in military culture. This phenomenon is linked mainly to the interest about preventing harmful effects of stress on both the performance, emotional and physical wellbeing of the soldiers. The use of Virtual Reality (VR) for Stress Management Training (SMT) is increasingly common in the military. This level of endorsement is linked mainly to the possibility offered by VR to simulate complex, highly stressful scenarios in a safe, customizable and dynamic environment (e.g., flight simulator, simulations of battlefields or emergency scenarios). In addition, training in a virtual world has been reported to be a good compromise between the traditional alternatives of classroombased training and real-world training exercises. However, one of the main problem in the use of Virtual Reality for the training in the military, including SMT, is given by the fact that the technology, although advanced, alone is not enough. Technological aspects as fidelity and sensorial realism are certainly important elements to develop an effective training, but there are other ones to be considered. In fact, the relationship between technology and training effectivenessis not direct, but mediated also by subjective aspects of the users. Therefore, during the design of VR environments for training is important to consider that, according to the specific objective of training, levels of fidelity of virtual environments may differ. Due to the close bond between the user and the system within virtual environments, it may be impossible to segregate these aspects from design issues when striving to achieve the potential of VR technology. It is the capabilities and limitations of the user that many times will determine the effectiveness of virtual worlds. To focus on the users from the earliest stages of VR training design can increase effectiveness and reduce possible effects of negative training (i.e. to learn to make the task in a way different from what happen in real scenarios). Knowing the different elements involved in the task means that scenario developing is tailored on the user, adopting the most suitable technology and fidelity levelaccording to the needs required by the specific task. Thus, an interdisciplinary approach (including users, trainers, designers, psychologists and technology experts) can define concrete guidelines that may support strategic choices and training design activities evaluation. This can be done by adopting a “Human-Centered Virtual Reality Training Design” that provides an understanding of issues related to the subjective experience of the user and to the particular aims of the training from the early stages of development. This multimodal (i.e., oriented to several aspects of user experience) and multilevel (i.e., based on the integrated use of technical and methodological solutions) approach has been tested by Selex ES within the project Minerva, in cooperation with psychological researchers at the University of Milano- Bicocca. During a testing session with five staff members at the Italian Forward Air Controller School (SIAC) of Guidonia it has been the opportunity to give a preliminary demonstration of the method, showing that an interdisciplinary approach can improve the effectiveness of specific VR training scenarios, merging academic methods and technical knowhow. Future studies will replicate this preliminary test in order to investigate usefulness and effectiveness of the proposed approach in the design and development of VR training. After a formal and deeper evalutation, the proposed method could become a powerful tool for the definition and the implementation of more effective and efficient virtual training services and tools.

Authors Pallavicini Federica, Toniazzi Nicola, Argenton Luca, Aceti Luciana, Mantovani Fabrizia

Type Paper for Seminar/Symposium/Conference

Media ITEC 2016 - International Forum for the Military Training, Education and simulation Sectors (17-19 May 2016, London, UK)

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Anno 2016

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