PhyLab - a virtual reality laboratory for experiments in physics: a pilot study on intervention effectiveness and gender differences.

Introduction: New technologies have great potential to facilitate students' understanding and appreciation of one of the most abstract and challenging school subjects - physics. This study aimed to examine the effects of a game-based virtual reality teaching method on secondary school students' self-beliefs, interest, and performance in physics through a quasi-experimental design using pre- and post-test data. The evaluation is based on the systemic actiotope model that explains a person's goal-oriented actions by an interplay of their environment, action repertoire (i.e., students' performance and interest in physics), and subjective action space (i.e., students' self-efficacy, self-concept, and implicit theories regarding physics). Method: A game-based virtual reality App to be used with Google cardboards was developed containing 10 teaching units from the secondary school physics class curriculum. Participants in the control group were taught using traditional teaching methods, while students in the experimental group went through the VR with the teacher and conducted the prepared VR experiments in addition to the traditionally presented content. Three tests measured students' physics performance during the semester. In addition, students answered questionnaires assessing their interest, self-efficacy, self-concept, and entity implicit theories regarding physics before and after the intervention, resulting in a Pretest-Posttest Control Group Design. Results: There were no significant differences between the control and experimental group in test scores on the first and second tests but compared to the control group, the experimental group achieved higher scores on the third test. In addition, the results indicate differential effects of the game-based virtual reality teaching method on students' interest and self-efficacy regarding physics to the advantage of students identifying as male, but no effects on students' self-concept, and entity implicit theories regarding physics. Discussion: The results of our pilot study suggest that incorporating innovative didactic methods into secondary school physics classes could potentially contribute to higher performance in and motivation for physics during this crucial period of adolescence when students develop educational and career aspirations. However, game-based virtual reality teaching methods seem to favor students identifying as male, which should be considered in their development and presentation. Other practical implications for practitioners and researchers are discussed.

The effect of three violent videogame engagement states on aggressive behavior: A partial least squares structural equation modeling approach.

Debate on violent games and their effect on aggressive behavior remains inconclusive. This study aims to study the predicting role of cognitive, affective, and behavioral engagement states in violent videogames on aggressive behavior, which remains nebulous to date. We visited gaming zones and administered the study survey to collect data from violent videogame users. We collected 208 valid responses that were further analyzed. The present study used SmartPLS (3.3.3) software to perform partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) analysis in two stages. In the first stage, the measurement model assessment reported that cognitive, affective, behavioral, and aggressive behavior proved to be reliable reflective-formative composite constructs. Whereas, the second phase illustrated that cognitive engagement in violent videogames fails to impact aggressive behavior. The other two engagement states (affective and behavioral) in violent games showed a positive impact on aggressive behavior. Our study contributes to aggressive behavior literature by understanding how violent videogame engagement states impact aggressive behavior, which is crucial to recognize aggression so that steps can be taken toward addressing it. This study also contributes methodologically by utilizing the hierarchical component model (HCM) approach to estimate, specify, and validate the hierarchical structure of higher-order constructs (i.e., consumer violent videogame engagement dimensions (cognitive, affective, and behavioral) and aggressive behavior) as reflective-formative composite models.

Investigating male gamers' behavioral intention to play PUBG: Insights from playful-consumption experiences.

This research investigates the factors that affect male gamers' behavioral intention to play PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), which is one of the most widely played online games of today's era. We examine the factors through the lens of the hedonic consumption model (i.e., playful-consumption experiences) and use the gratification theory to predict behavioral intention to play PUBG. Data from 248 male PUBG gamers were analyzed using PLS-SEM analyses. The study involved an initial stage where an estimation model (i.e., measurement model) was analyzed to assess the constructs' reliability and validity. Following this, the second stage involved assessing the theoretical model to test the relationship between the principle constructs. The study found that playful-consumption experience factors, such as escapism, emotional involvement, sensory experience, enjoyment, and arousal, significantly influenced the behavioral intentions to play PUBG. The research findings further indicate that role-projection and fantasy failed to impact consumers' intention to play PUBG. This study provides both theoretical and practical implications. It fills the literature gap by focusing on predicting the behavioral intention to play PUBG through the playful-consumption experiences of a popular online multiplayer game. Practically, this study could potentially open avenues for gaming companies to address how different playful-consumption experiences impact game users' behavioral intentions.

Predicting Video Game Addiction Through the Dimensions of Consumer Video Game Engagement: Quantitative and Cross-sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Video games are expanding exponentially with their increased popularity among users. However, this popularity has also led to an increase in reported video game addiction. There may be consumer engagement-related factors that may influence video game addiction. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to empirically examine the impact of the dimensions of consumer video game engagement on video game addiction. The dimensions are dedication, absorption, conscious attention, social connection, enthusiasm, and interaction. We utilize the uses and gratifications theory to study the video game engagement dimensions as potential factors through which gamers feel gratified and engaged in video game playing. Additionally, this study incorporates the cultivation theory to investigate how video game engagement factors trigger video game addiction. METHODS: A two-step process was applied for data analysis on valid cases of 176 gamers aged 15-25 years: video game addiction was specified and validated as a reflective-formative construct, and hypothesis testing was later performed using the WarpPLS on valid respondents. RESULTS: The analysis uncovered 2 dimensions of video game engagement: social connection with P=.08 and interaction with P=.49, which did not significantly contribute to video game addiction. CONCLUSIONS: This study offers unique insights to a myriad of stakeholders, mostly psychologists and psychiatrists, who routinely prescribe behavior modification techniques to treat video game addiction.

Habituation of salivary cortisol and cardiovascular reactivity to a repeated real-life and virtual reality Trier Social Stress Test.

BACKGROUND: Although the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) constitutes a valid paradigm for social stress induction, less is known about the effects of a virtual reality (VR) TSST on short- and long-term hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and sympathetic-adreno-medullar (SAM) axis responses. Hence, this study set out to evaluate reactivity and habituation of self-reported stress and HPA and SAM reactivity in a real TSST and VR-TSST when compared to a placebo TSST. METHOD: Sixty-eight healthy young adults (50% female) were randomly assigned to either a real TSST, a VR-TSST, or a placebo TSST, all of which were conducted three times (one day and one week post initial exposure). Social presence, self-reported stress, salivary cortisol, heart rate (HR), and heart rate variability (HRV) were analyzed using ANOVAs and multilevel models. FINDINGS: On the first exposure, both the real and VR-TSST showed significantly stronger cortisol and cardiovascular responses than the placebo. On the second visit, the cortisol response was still significantly high-and the HRV response low-for the real and VR-TSST. The third visit resulted in HR, HRV, and cortisol responses comparable to the placebo group. Furthermore, the real TSST induced more self-reported stress than the placebo on all three visits, the VR-TSST only on the first two visits. Social presence was stable across conditions and had no association with stress markers. CONCLUSION: These findings imply that the replicability of stress exposures at shorter intervals seems problematic for the traditional TSST, and for the VR-TSST.

Virtual and real-life ostracism and its impact on a subsequent acute stressor.

While ostracism constitutes a social stressor with negative effects on physical and mental health, social inclusion seems to increase resilience. This may be true not only for face-to-face settings, but also for computer-mediated interactions. Hence, this study examined the differences between ostracism and social inclusion in real-life or Virtual Reality (VR) regarding self-reported stress, neuroendocrine and cardiovascular reactivity in a subsequent real-life socio-evaluative task. 84 females were randomly assigned to a 3 (agency: face-to-face/human controlled VR-avatar/computer VR-agent) x 2 (inclusion status: inclusion/exclusion) between-subject design using a Cyberball paradigm. Subsequently, they were exposed to a real-life Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). Results indicate that the experience of ostracism constitutes a threat to fundamental social needs independent of agency. Excluded participants showed cardiovascular reactivity during TSST; also face-to-face and avatar excluded individuals had elevated salivary cortisol levels. Included participants reported more perceived social support during Cyberball and showed a blunted cortisol response to the TSST. These results suggest that face-to-face and avatar-related ostracism provokes responses in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). Furthermore, they reveal that social inclusion may act as a stress-protector as it alters HPA- and SNS-related stress responsiveness to subsequent stressors.

A Web-Based Mobile App (INTERACCT App) for Adolescents Undergoing Cancer and Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Aftercare to Improve the Quality of Medical Information for Clinicians: Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: A growing number of cancer and hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) survivors require long-term follow-up with optimal communication schemes, and patients' compliance is crucial. Adolescents have various unmet needs. Regarding self-report of symptoms and health status, users of mobile apps showed enhanced compliance. Currently, HSCT aftercare at the HSCT outpatient clinic of the St. Anna Children's Hospital in Vienna, Austria, is based on handwritten diaries, carrying various disadvantages. Recently, we developed the prototype of a web-based, self-monitoring gamified mobile app tailored for adolescents: the INTERACCT (Integrating Entertainment and Reaction Assessment into Child Cancer Therapy) app. OBJECTIVE: This observational, prospective study evaluated the usability of the INTERACCT app for tracking real-time self-reported symptoms and health status data in adolescent HSCT patients and a healthy matched control group. The primary outcome of the study was the quality of the self-reported medical information. We hypothesized that the mobile app would provide superior medical information for the clinicians than would the handwritten diaries. METHODS: Health data were reported via paper diary and mobile app for 5 consecutive days each. The quality of medical information was rated on a 5-point scale independently and blinded by two HSCT clinicians, and the duration of use was evaluated. A total of 52 participant questionnaires were assessed for gaming patterns and device preferences, self-efficacy, users' satisfaction, acceptability, and suggestions for improvement of the mobile app. Interrater reliability was calculated with the intraclass correlation coefficient, based on a two-way mixed model; one-way repeated-measures analysis of variance and t tests were conducted post hoc. Descriptive methods were used for correlation with participants' demographics. For users' satisfaction and acceptability of the mobile app, the median and the IQR were calculated. RESULTS: Data from 42 participants-15 patients and 27 healthy students-with comparable demographics were evaluated. The results of our study indicated a superiority of the quality of self-reported medical data in the INTERACCT app over traditional paper-and-pencil assessment (mobile app: 4.14 points, vs paper-based diary: 3.77 points, P=.02). The mobile app outperformed paper-and-pencil assessments mainly among the patients, in particular among patients with treatment-associated complications (mobile app: 4.43 points, vs paper-based diary: 3.73 points, P=.01). The mobile app was used significantly longer by adolescents (≥14 years: 4.57 days, vs ≤13 years: 3.14 days, P=.03) and females (4.76 days for females vs 2.95 days for males, P=.004). This corresponds with a longer duration of use among impaired patients with comorbidities. User satisfaction and acceptability ratings for the mobile app were high across all groups, but adherence to entering a large amount of data decreased over time. Based on our results, we developed a case vignette of the target group. CONCLUSIONS: Our study was the first to show that the quality of patient-reported medical information submitted via the INTERACCT app embedded in a serious game is superior to that submitted via a handwritten diary. In light of these results, a refinement of the mobile app supported by a machine learning approach is planned within an international research project.

Virtual social support buffers stress response: An experimental comparison of real-life and virtual support prior to a social stressor.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Face-to-face and text-based social support have been shown to attenuate stress responses in past studies. Yet as social interactions increasingly take place online by means of virtual humans, our objective was to examine whether different forms of social support (virtual vs. real) prior to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) would also decrease stress. Additionally, the effect on subsequent real-life social behaviors (helping and approach) was evaluated while controlling for affective states and social presence. METHODS: 56 participants were either supported by an avatar, an agent, a real human or received no support before completing the TSST and two subsequent social behavior tasks (pen task and seating task). RESULTS: Results show no difference in agency regarding social presence. Yet, participants with agent support and no support had significantly higher heart rates during the TSST and reported to be more worried. Also, they were more irritated and showed significantly slower helping reactions (picking up pens). LIMITATIONS: A limitation to this study is that only emotional verbal and non-verbal support were provided by a stranger. Different forms of support as well as a different source (i.e., a friend) may have a more pronounced effect on stress buffering. CONCLUSIONS: Virtual social support is as effective as face-to-face support in terms of stress buffering, as long as the recipient has the impression that it is provided by another human (via an avatar). This has wide ranging implications not only for health-related application in prevention and treatment but also for further research.

Physical Presence, Social Presence, and Anxiety in Participants with Social Anxiety Disorder During Virtual Cue Exposure.

Although social anxiety disorders (SADs) are increasingly treated by means of virtual cue exposure, the mechanisms leading to sufficient anxiety levels and thus to a success of virtual reality exposure therapy are still poorly understood. Also, most studies with SAD participants fail to evaluate social presence, although it may be a more appropriate indicator for virtual social stress scenarios than physical presence. Hence, for the first time, this study sets out to examine the link between social presence, physical presence, and emotional responses to phobogenic virtual social stimuli. A group of n = 12 participants with SAD and n = 12 healthy controls were exposed to three social tasks in an interactive virtual environment (VE). Self-report measures of physical and social presence as well as state anxiety were used alongside heart rate measures to evaluate the virtual experience. Results show significantly higher anxiety levels-both self-report and physiological-in SAD participants than in controls. Also, socially anxious subjects reported to experience more copresence and mutual attention as well as a higher sense of being in the VE than their healthy peers. In sum, social presence experiences may be more predicative of the anxiety response in SAD individuals than physical presence. Especially attentional processes seem to crucially shape the interplay between presence and affective responses.

Agency and Gender Influence Older Adults' Presence-Related Experiences in an Interactive Virtual Environment.

While virtual humans are increasingly used to benefit the elderly, considerably little is still known about older adults' virtual experiences. However, due to age-related changes, older adults' perceptions of virtual environments (VEs) may be unique. Hence, our objective was to examine possible gender differences in immersion, flow, and emotional states as well as physical and social presence in elderly males and females interacting either with a computer-controlled agent or a human-controlled avatar. Seventy-eight German-speaking older adults were randomly assigned to an avatar or an agent condition and were exposed to a brief social encounter in a virtual café. Results indicate no overall gender differences, but a significant effect of agency on social presence, physical presence, immersion, and flow. Participants in the avatar condition reported higher levels in all measures, except for involvement. Furthermore, significant gender × agency interactions were found, with females showing more social presence, spatial presence, and flow when interacting with a human-controlled avatar and more realism when conversing with an agent. Also, all participants showed significant changes in their affect post exposure. In sum, older adults' virtual experiences seem to follow unique patterns, yet, they do not preclude the elderly from successfully participating in VEs.

Provenance based data integrity checking and verification in cloud environments.

Cloud computing is a recent tendency in IT that moves computing and data away from desktop and hand-held devices into large scale processing hubs and data centers respectively. It has been proposed as an effective solution for data outsourcing and on demand computing to control the rising cost of IT setups and management in enterprises. However, with Cloud platforms user's data is moved into remotely located storages such that users lose control over their data. This unique feature of the Cloud is facing many security and privacy challenges which need to be clearly understood and resolved. One of the important concerns that needs to be addressed is to provide the proof of data integrity, i.e., correctness of the user's data stored in the Cloud storage. The data in Clouds is physically not accessible to the users. Therefore, a mechanism is required where users can check if the integrity of their valuable data is maintained or compromised. For this purpose some methods are proposed like mirroring, checksumming and using third party auditors amongst others. However, these methods use extra storage space by maintaining multiple copies of data or the presence of a third party verifier is required. In this paper, we address the problem of proving data integrity in Cloud computing by proposing a scheme through which users are able to check the integrity of their data stored in Clouds. In addition, users can track the violation of data integrity if occurred. For this purpose, we utilize a relatively new concept in the Cloud computing called "Data Provenance". Our scheme is capable to reduce the need of any third party services, additional hardware support and the replication of data items on client side for integrity checking.

Serious game scores as health condition indicator for cancer patients.

In this paper we present INTERACCT (Integrating Entertainment and Reaction Assessment into Child Cancer Therapy), a multidisciplinary research project aiming at creating a communication tool for pediatric patients after cancer treatment with HSCT (hematopoietic stem cell transplantation) in after care. The communication platform should foster communication between patients and clinicians, but also increase motivation for treatment compliance by using appropriate designs and gamification elements. A state of the art web interface enables the physicians to evaluate data submitted by the patients, joining data from various sources (lab data, survey data, physiotherapy performance) using HL7 and visualizing imporant changes. This contribution outlines the challenges of designing such a system and presents a solution for the medical data interface and evaluation.

Afraid to be there? Evaluating the relation between presence, self-reported anxiety, and heart rate in a virtual public speaking task.

The link between anxiety and presence in a virtual environment (VE) is still a subject of an unresolved debate, with little empirical research to support theoretical claims. Thus, the current study analyzed presence, self-reported anxiety, and a physiological parameter (heart rate [HR]) in a sample of 30 high anxious and 35 low anxious participants. Both groups delivered a 5 minute speech in a virtual lecture hall. Results indicate no mediating influences of presence on group differences in self-reported state anxiety during the speech, but point toward negative correlations between state anxiety and the iGroup Presence Questionnaire (IPQ) scales "sense of being there" and "realism." Furthermore, HR was found to be unrelated to self-reported presence. Only the IPQ scale "spatial presence" showed a marginally significant influence on group differences in state anxiety. The present results support the assumption that presence and anxiety are logically distinct, meaning that presence does not directly influence the intensity of an emotion felt in a VE. Rather, it constitutes a precondition for an emotion to be at all elicited by a VE. Also, HR has proven to be no adequate substitute measure for presence, since it only assesses anxiety not presence. It may, however, mediate the interplay between trait anxiety and state anxiety. Possible implications of the current findings are discussed alongside the problem of using presence questionnaires that seem to be prone to subjective bias (i.e., participants confusing presence and emotion).