engleski

Skydive virtual environment: cognitive processing

The construction of a VR-measurement instrument, aimed at assessing cognitive dimensions of skydivers (Free Fall Formations 4-WAY) is presented in the paper. Spatial processing is a vital component of cognitive ability of skydivers. The spatial cognition processing is decisive in manipulation with images of the real skydiving world. The authors presumed the virtual reality instruments could explain skydivers' dimensions which the paper-pencil instruments cannot. Validity of the VR-0.6 instrument was tested on the sample of 111 students of kinesiology whose abilities are supposed to be closest to those pertaining to the population of skydivers. The tasks utilised (19) consisted of 3D-presentations of skydivers in characteristic arrangements with different grips in free fall, that rotate in space around different axes at different speeds. The tetrachoric coefficients of reliability (0.75) and Cronbach's ALPHA (0.59) were determined. The relations between scores achieved in the VR-test and in 12 cognitive paper-pencil tests were determined by Forward Stepwise Regression Analysis. Multiple correlations obtained are statistically significant (0.46 ; p < 0.01). The measure eduction of spatial relations (IT-2) significantly explains variance of the VR-test. Measures eduction of spatial relations (S1), eduction of figural contest (P2) and relations between simple life situations (BETA-3) are insignificant and less expressed. The obtained results highlight influence of the visual manipulation abilities of skydivers on the process of resolving spatial problems in the virtual space. The findings are in congruence with the Spearman’s eduction factor (according to Das, Kirby and Jarman it predominantly occurs at the level of the parallel processor which carries out the simultaneous analysis and integration of information) and with the Catell-Horn’s dimension of fluid intelligence.

virtual reality ; measurement instrument ; cognitive dimensions ; validity ; students of kinesiology ; skydiving ; sport

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