Perspectives of virtual reality research in Kazakhstan

Virtual reality (VR) research in Kazakhstan started in 2005 with the launching of the first Kazakhstani PhD program in psychology. The influence of age, gender and activity/passivity on spatial cognition, as well as effects of memory, attention, and stress in spatial navigation have been examined. Comparative analysis of cognitive processing in real and virtual environments is the overall aim of our research. Previous international research has documented significant gender differences for some spatial tasks, including specific computer-generated tasks, favouring males (Astur et al, 1998 Behavioural Brain Research 93 185 - 190). However, it does not seem that this is the case for all aspects of spatial performance. In some VR studies which allowed longer exposure to virtual environments female subjects improved significantly over time. VR studies of the influence of active versus passive spatial experience on acquisition and transfer of spatial knowledge also report varied findings (Wilson and Péruch, 2002 Current Psychology of Cognition 21 601 - 633) which may depend on environment, task difficulty, and interface familiarity.

European Conference on Visual Perception.
St Petersburg, Russia.
20-26 August, 2006.
ECVP 2006 Abstract Supplement