Measuring Attention During Immersive Virtual Reality Distraction

Healthy college student volunteers will participate in a repeated measure within subject trial studying attention using a divided attention paradigm.

One group of participants (16 healthy volunteers) will perform a simple attention demanding task during No VR for 2 minutes and they will perform the attention demanding task again during High Tech VR for 2 minutes.

Another group of 20 healthy volunteers will perform a simple attention demanding task during a less immersive see through VR (a plausible control condition) for 2 minutes and they will also perform the attention demanding task again during immersive High Tech VR for 2 minutes (treatment order randomized). This group will also rate their pain and anxiety during Quantitative Sensory Testing very brief thermal heat stimuli during No VR vs. during immersive high tech VR.

Inclusion criteria

• Currently enrolled in a course at the University of Washington Psychology Dept., participating in the University of Washington (UW) Psychology subject pool
• Able to read, write and comprehend English
• Able to complete study measures
• Willing to follow our UW approved instructions
• 18 years of age or older

Exclusion criteria

• People who have already previously participated in this same study (e.g., last quarter) are not eligible to participate again.
• Not enrolled in a course at the University of Washington Psychology Dept., not participating in the UW Psychology subject pool
• Not be able to read, write and comprehend English
• Younger than 18 years of age.
• Not capable of completing measures
• Not capable of indicating pain intensity,
• Not capable of filling out study measures,
• Extreme susceptibility to motion sickness,
• Seizure history,
• Unusual sensitivity or lack of sensitivity to pain,
• Sensitive skin,
• Sensitive feet
• Migraines
• Diabetes