Affective, anxiety and behavioral effects of an aversive stimulation during a simulated navigation task within a virtual environment: A pilot study

This study investigated the impact of an aversive environmental stimulation on self-reported affective and anxiety states and movement behaviors during a simulated navigation task in a virtual environment (VE). In the experimental task, participants were asked to virtually navigate (within two consecutive sessions), from a starting point to a destination location, across a spatial configuration consisting in three successive corridors (A–C). In the first session, all corridors were non-aversive. In the second session, the corridor B contained an aversive stimulation (i.e., fire, smokescreen, and warning alarm). Fourteen participants were involved in the experiment. Self-reported anxiety and affective states were measured at the end of each session. However, movement indicators (i.e., execution, time, average speed, speed and trajectory variability) were recorded on-line during the experiment. Results showed a significant increased (i) level of self-reported negative affects and state-anxiety between the two sessions, and (ii) speed and trajectory variability between the two sessions, while the participants were in corridor B. In conclusion, these results support the experimental validity of virtual reality for the induction of negative affects and state-anxiety. The relationships between reported negative affects and state-anxiety and behavior are discussed.