Previous training reduces the execution time of visuo-spacial tasks in virtual environment

Abstract

Objective. To evaluate the influence of previous adaptation to different computational environments in visuo-spacial tasks performance of healthy individuals. Method. Healthy volunteers (n = 30), 15 male, mean age 25.3 ± 3.3 years, were divided in three groups: the first group, considered control, was not adapted to the proposed environments; the second group was adapted to a closed environment (stable and expected),
and the third group was adapted to an open environment “A” (unexpected). The proposed task was to go through two open environments “B” and “C” (maze). The dependent variables Time and Error were considered for the analysis. Results. It was observed that during the adaptation phase, in the Time variable, the groups presented a progressive improvement in the performance to each task (p = 0.0036). The group adapted in the “A” open environment, showed a tendency to be faster in the execution of “B” and “C” open environments tasks, than the group adapted in the closed environment (p = 0.068). Conclusion. The study suggests that subjects adapted to visuo-spacial tasks execution involving unknown and no guided situations, present a tendency to a better time performance in these tasks when compared to subjects adapted in fixed and guided situations.