VR RESEARCH PROJECT
A virtual reality project I am currently leading at my university exploring the human-computer interaction of virtual reality devices. This project aims to explore how the memory encoding process is affected by the usage of virtual reality devices; through this, we will gather additional data for virtual reality’s usefulness as a memory/study aid.
To explore how memory is affected by virtual reality, my team and I will use the Rey auditory verbal learning test with a group of participants with a virtual reality headset and a group without. We developed this Unity scene of a beach for the virtual reality trials due to our previous research findings. Previous neurological research indicates that memories are more strongly encoded when a person is calm and relaxed. Additionally, previous virtual reality research has proven its ability to affect human emotions and has also found beach environments to be calming.
This project was developed using Unity 2021 using a combination of provided and developed assets. Presently, my team and I are in the process of receiving approval to conduct our experiment. Following the collection of our results, we hope to write a paper in the Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research (JPUR).
