Virtual Maintenance, Reality, and Systems: A Review

Virtual Reality is a computer-generated, mock environment that can allow people to interact with it in a seemingly real way by using certain types of specialized equipment. It is mainly used for training or educational purposes and allows for “real-life” training in a safe and monitored environment. Virtual training can be used in many different fields such as medical, military, biomedical research, aviation, and many others. However, this paper reviews the most cited publications related to the application of virtual reality for training in the United States Military. As a result, researchers can find research venues based on the challenges, risk, and infrastructures

Using Biofeedback while Immersed in a Stressful Videogame Increases the Effectiveness of Stress Management Skills in Soldiers

This study assessed the efficacy of using visual and auditory biofeedback while immersed in a tridimensional videogame to practice a stress management skill (tactical breathing). All 41 participants were soldiers who had previously received basic stress management training and first aid training in combat. On the first day, they received a 15-minute refresher briefing and were randomly assigned to either: (a) no additional stress management training (SMT) for three days, or (b) 30-minute sessions (one per day for three days) of biofeedback-assisted SMT while immersed in a horror/first-person shooter game. The training was performed in a dark and enclosed environment using a 50-inch television with active stereoscopic display and loudspeakers. On the last day, all participants underwent a live simulated ambush with an improvised explosive device, where they had to provide first aid to a wounded soldier. Stress levels were measured with salivary cortisol collected when waking-up, before and after the live simulation. Stress was also measured with heart rate at baseline, during an apprehension phase, and during the live simulation. Repeated-measure ANOVAs and ANCOVAs confirmed that practicing SMT was effective in reducing stress. Results are discussed in terms of the advantages of the proposed program for military personnel and the need to practice SMT

The Effects of Coping Interventions on Ability to Perform Under Pressure

The ability to perform under pressure is necessary to achieve goals in various domains of life. We conducted a systematic review to synthesise findings from applied studies that focus on interventions developed to enhance an individual’s ability to cope under performance pressure. Following the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, a comprehensive search of five electronic databases was conducted. This yielded 66,618 records, of which 23 peer review papers met inclusion criteria of containing an intervention that targeted coping skills for performing under pressure. Using the Standard Quality Assessment for evaluation of primary research papers (Kmet et al., 2004) to assess quality, included studies performed well on reporting research objectives, research design, and statistical procedures. Sixteen studies showed poor quality in controlling for potentially confounding factors and small sample sizes. A narrative aggregate synthesis identified intervention studies that provided an educational focus (n = 9), consultancy sessions (n = 6), simulation training (n = 5) and emotion regulation strategies (n = 3). Findings highlight a need to; 1) establish a contextualized pressure task which will generate high levels of ecological validity for participants. Having established a suitable pressure task, 2) research should assess the effects of pressure by evaluating conscious and nonconscious effects and associated coping mechanisms, which should inform the subsequent development of interventions, and 3) assess interventions to enhance understanding of the ways in which they improve coping with pressure, or may fail, and the mechanisms which may explain these outcomes

The Effects of Coping Interventions on Ability to Perform Under Pressure

The ability to perform under pressure is necessary to achieve goals in various domains of life. We conducted a systematic review to synthesise findings from applied studies that focus on interventions developed to enhance an individual's ability to cope under performance pressure. Following the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, a comprehensive search of five electronic databases was conducted. This yielded 66,618 records, of which 23 peer review papers met inclusion criteria of containing an intervention that targeted coping skills for performing under pressure. Using the Standard Quality Assessment for evaluation of primary research papers (Kmet et al., 2004) to assess quality, included studies performed well on reporting research objectives, research design, and statistical procedures. Sixteen studies showed poor quality in controlling for potentially confounding factors and small sample sizes. A narrative aggregate synthesis identified intervention studies that provided an educational focus (n = 9), consultancy sessions (n = 6), simulation training (n = 5) and emotion regulation strategies (n = 3). Findings highlight a need to; 1) establish a contextualized pressure task which will generate high levels of ecological validity for participants. Having established a suitable pressure task, 2) research should assess the effects of pressure by evaluating conscious and nonconscious effects and associated coping mechanisms, which should inform the subsequent development of interventions, and 3) assess interventions to enhance understanding of the ways in which they improve coping with pressure, or may fail, and the mechanisms which may explain these outcomes.University of Wolverhampton and Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Clu

The Effects of Military Leadership and its Implication on Mental Health Stigma and Treatment Seeking Behaviors of Veterans in Garrison and Noncombat Deployment Environments

Military service members are more likely to endure a significant amount of stress and experience multiple traumatic events than civilians due to the nature of their job. Many studies have focused on the traumatic stressors encountered during combat despite the fact that many service members encounter stressors related to serving in the military. A study conducted by Dursa, Reinhard, Barth, and Schniderman (2014) found that 10.9% of nondeployed veterans screened positive for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with the highest prevalence of PTSD (13.8%) amongst nondeployed soldiers. Military mental health stigma is rampant due to the need to be ready for battle, although a minority of service members seek mental health treatment. Service members’ resistance to seeking treatment may be due to perceived stigma from their peers and anticipated stigma from their leaders (Hoge et al., 2004; Vogt, Fox, & DiLeone, 2014). Perception of stigma is a common barrier to care reported by Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) veterans and can be more pronounced due to a more recent service in the military. Tsai, Whealin, and Pietrzak (2014) discussed that personal support from military leaders may help normalize treatment seeking. The military focuses on leadership development because leaders have the ability to influence and motivate their subordinates (Thomas et al., 2010). It is important to understand the impact that leadership behaviors have on subordinates because the military exposes their personnel to numerous stressors, including physical hardship, psychological distress, and physical danger. Considering the number of stressors and traumas associated with the military, it is likely that leaders may indirectly or directly influence their subordinates’ perception of mental health stigma and treatment seeking. Due to these factors, it is hypothesized that leadership behaviors affect mental health stigma and treatment-seeking behaviors

Militaires canadiens de retour de mission : une analyse qualitative secondaire de l'adaptation au stress opérationnel

Une analyse secondaire de données qualitatives collectées en 2010-11 provenant de témoignages de militaires canadiens en postdéploiement de mission en Afghanistan (opération Athéna) a été réalisée afin d’explorer comment ceux-ci s’adaptent au stress opérationnel. Le cadre conceptuel est fondé sur le modèle transactionnel du stress et de l’adaptation de Lazarus et Folkman (1984). L’étude tient donc compte des valeurs, objectifs et engagements de vie, incluant ceux de la mission opérationnelle, des composantes peu étudiées du sens global. L’étude porte sur le stress opérationnel caractérisant les combats de faible intensité qui demeure potentiellement dangereux et assez typique des missions contemporaines. Les données ont été examinées selon la méthode d’analyse qualitative de Miles et Huberman (2003) afin de dégager les stratégies utilisées par les militaires pour s’adapter à des situations opérationnelles stressantes spécifiques. Les participants sont des militaires canadiens francophones qui reviennent de mission en Afghanistan et dont près des trois-quarts ont participé à plusieurs missions. Les résultats montrent qu’ils sont motivés et fiers de leurs compétences professionnelles. La participation à une mission représente pour eux l’aboutissement de leur entrainement et elle légitimise leur carrière ainsi qu’une opportunité d’influer activement sur le cours des événements. Ils utilisent principalement des stratégies de résolution de problèmes variées comme planifier, agir sur le problème, référer à des procédures et à l’entrainement reçu, ainsi que s’adapter sur le plan interculturel. Cette dernière stratégie peut aussi être considérée comme une stratégie de soutien social instrumental améliorant l’appréciation tactique des situations sur le terrain par le développement d’un réseau social secondaire auprès de la population-hôte. Le détachement est aussi une stratégie importante facilitant la centration sur la tâche, en particulier dans des tâches risquées comme le déminage. Le contrôle de soi, notamment sur le plan cognitif, est aussi utilisé, mais se présente comme une stratégie plus coûteuse en énergie sur le plan attentionnel. Les participants utilisent la réévaluation positive et le détachement pour gérer les pertes et les préoccupations ainsi que le soutien social et l’assistance au coping (donner du soutien social) entre eux et à leurs proches autant sur le plan instrumental qu’émotionnel. Ils utilisent peu la confrontation et la fuite-évitement. Dans l’ensemble, les stratégies centrées sur l’émotion sont utilisées au service de la tâche. Les résultats sont discutés en mettant en perspective la résilience dans le contexte de performance caractérisant les fonctions militaires opérationnelles et l’apport des études portant sur le stress dans les sports de haut niveau. Cette analyse montre que la dichotomie entre les stratégies centrées sur le problème et celles centrées sur l’émotion ne rend pas adéquatement compte de la nature du processus d’adaptation et qu’il faut étudier les stratégies dans le contexte d’événements spécifiques et du sens qu’ils prennent pour l’individu. Cette étude montre aussi que l’analyse qualitative secondaire peut maximiser et étendre les résultats des recherches qualitatives primaires

Can elite male academy players be taught to perform under pressure?

A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of University of Wolverhampton for the degree of Doctor of PhilosophyTo gain a professional contract in UK academy football, young players must demonstrate an ability to perform under pressure (Larsen et al., 2014). A systematic review was conducted to synthesise findings from applied studies that focus on interventions developed to enhance an individual's ability to cope under performance pressure. Simulation training alongside cognitive-behavioural (CB) workshops was an intervention format that may develop an academy football player’s ability to perform within the highly-pressurised environment of academy football (Bell, Hardy and Beattie, 2013). A limitation of much simulation training that is intended to help individuals perform in highly-pressurised environments is the failure to generate meaningful performance pressure. Similarly, CB workshops can also be limited in their effectiveness due to a failure to identify contextually specific factors that may develop coping skills. Such factors should be embedded within CB workshops to align with the needs of individuals in their respective pressure domain. Moreover, study one of this programme of research aimed to identify meaningful pressure conditioned stimuli, along with factors perceived to be facilitative or debilitative of performance under pressure within academy soccer. The perceptions of pressure, and factors of influence identified within study one were used by academy coaches to inform the design of a contextually specific pressure intervention. Study two, presents and evaluates this pressure training intervention. A mixed-methods approach using quantitative (simulation training data) and qualitative data (interviews with players and reflective diary extracts) provided insight into the effectiveness of the pressure intervention. Findings indicate that simulation training alone could enhance performance under pressure within age groups 11-14 years. Players across all age groups described improvement in confidence, emotional intelligence, meta-cognition, focus and challenge appraisal following the intervention. Future research is warranted to investigate the benefits of simulation training and CB workshops within a larger sample, over-time.University of Wolverhampto

バーチャルリアリティにおける心的外傷後ストレス障害治療の哲学的考察 : バーチャルリアリティコンテキストにおけるトラウマと自己語りの形成

学位の種別: 課程博士審査委員会委員 : （主査）東京大学教授 信原 幸弘, 東京大学教授 橋本 毅彦, 東京大学教授 廣野 喜幸, 東京大学准教授 石原 孝二, 東京大学教授 丹野 義彦University of Tokyo(東京大学