Real and Virtual Environment Mismatching Induces Arousal and Alters Movement Behavior

This paper examines a common problem found in a number of virtual reality setups—mismatches between real and virtual environments. Specifically, this paper investigates whether the mismatching between a real and a virtual environment in terms of appearance and physical constraints can affect the arousal (electrodermal activity) and movement behavior in the participants. For this study, one baseline condition and four mismatch conditions that examine different mismatching types were developed and tested in a between-group study design. The participants were immersed in a virtual environment and were asked to walk in a direction given to them along a provided path. During that time, electrodermal activity and the walking motion of participants were captured to assess potential alterations in their arousal and movement behavior respectively. Results obtained from this study indicate significant differences in the electrodermal activity and movement behavior of participants, especially when walking in a virtual environment that is mismatched both in appearance and physical constraints. Even though to a lesser degree, evidence was also found that correlates electrodermal activity with movement behavior. Limitations and future research directions are discussed.