Maximino Bessa

Abstract
The advantages of Virtual Reality (VR) over traditional training, together with the development of VR technology, have contributed to an increase in the body of literature on training professionals with VR. However, there is a gap in the literature concerning the comparison of training in a Virtual Environment (VE) with the same training in a Real Environment (RE), which would contribute to a better understanding of the capabilities of VR in training. This paper presents a study with firefighters (N = 12) where the effect of a firefighter training exercise in a VE was evaluated and compared to that of the same exercise in a RE. The effect of environments was evaluated using psychophysiological measures by evaluating the perception of stress and fatigue, transfer of knowledge, sense of presence, cybersickness, and the actual stress measured through participants' Heart Rate Variability (HRV). The results showed a similar perception of stress and fatigue between the two environments; a positive, although not significant, effect of the VE on the transfer of knowledge; the display of moderately high presence values in the VE; the ability of the VE not to cause symptoms of cybersickness; and finally, obtaining signs of stress in participants' HRV in the RE and, to a lesser extent, signs of stress in the VE. Although the effect of the VE was shown to be non-comparable to that of the RE, the authors consider the results encouraging and discuss some key factors that should be addressed in the future to improve the results of the training VE.

Abstract

Abstract
Presence is often used to evaluate Virtual Reality (VR) applications. However, the raw scores are hard to interpret and need to be compared to other data to be meaningful. This paper leverages a database of 1909 responses to the Igroup Presence Questionnaire (IPQ) in different contexts to put forward a scale that qualitatively interprets raw Presence scores for VR experiences. The qualitative grading encompasses the acceptability dimension and analogous academic grading scales ranging from A to F and the adjective of such scores in a scale from Excellent to Unacceptable. Furthermore, the qualitative grading system encompasses Presence and its subscales Spatial Presence, Involvement, and Experienced Realism as defined by the IPQ. Adopting this grading system, supported by a robust dataset of Presence scores, enables practitioners to evaluate and interpret individual IPQ scores, allowing them to gain insights regarding the evaluated applications' effectiveness.

Abstract

Abstract
The adoption of immersive virtual experiences (IVEs) opened new research lines where the impact of realism is being studied, allowing developers to focus resources on realism factors proven to improve the user experience the most. We analyzed papers that compared different levels of realism and evaluated their impact on user experience. Exploratorily, we also synthesized the realism terms used by authors. From 1,300 initial documents, 79 met the eligibility criteria. Overall, most of the studies reported that higher realism has a positive impact on user experience. These data allow a better understanding of realism in IVEs, guiding future R&D.