Mood and simulator sickness after truck simulator exposure

Abstract

Objectives: Studies involving simulators are increasingly popular. We examined to what extent exposure to a variety of test conditions on the simulator affects the level of mood and severity of simulator sickness. In addition, we were interested in finding out to what degree the changes in mood are associated with the severity of the symptoms of simulator sickness. Material and Methods: Twelve men (aged M: 29.8, SD: 4.26) participated in the study, performing two 30-minute tasks in a driving simulator truck (fixed-base and mobile platform). For measuring mood, the UMACL questionnaire was used, and to assess the severity of the symptoms of simulator sickness, the SSQ questionnaire was used. Mood and the severity of simulator sickness symptoms were measured 3 times during the study (pretest, 2 min and 0.5 h after the test). Results: Symptoms of nausea and disorientation occurred after the tests on both simulators. In the case of the mobile platform, exacerbation of the symptoms associated with oculomotor disturbances was observed. These symptoms were particularly severe 2 min after completion of the test on the simulator, and they persisted for at least 0.5 h after the end of the test. The correlations between simulator sickness and mood explained from 35% to 65% of the variance of these variables. In particular, a strong association was observed between the oculomotor disturbances and a decrease in energetic arousal. This refers both to the effect level and the duration of these symptoms. Conclusions: Simulator sickness is a major problem in the use of simulators in both the research and the training of operators. In the conditions involving the mobile platform, not only was a higher severity of the symptoms of simulator sickness observed, but also a decrease in energetic arousal. Therefore, the implementation of the mobile platform can provide an additional source of conflict at the level of incoming stimuli and changes in mood may increase this effect. Thus, it seems important to consider the tasks performed on the simulator in the context of utility and the purpose for which we use them.

Can Simulator Sickness Be Avoided? A Review on Temporal Aspects of Simulator Sickness

“… Biernacki and Dziuda (2014) have studied simulator sickness symptoms on a group of professional truck drivers, who participated in three 30-min truck simulator drives – the first one on a fixed-base platform with poor visibility (created by a simulated fog) and twice with good visibility: on a fixed base and on a mobile platform. The simulator consisted of a truck cabin and a cylinder screen, on which all visual stimuli were displayed.…”

“…The aforementioned aspects will be discussed in the present paper, as they seem to be crucial as far as virtual reality development is concerned. Furthermore, according to some research (e.g., Moss and Muth, 2011 ; Biernacki and Dziuda, 2014 ; Malińska et al, 2014 ), the simulator sickness symptoms appear to persist for some time after the simulator exposure – this aspect will be discussed below as well.…”

“…Simulator Sickness Questionnaire has been used in numerous studies (e.g., Lampton et al, 1994 ; Mourant and Thattacherry, 2000 ; Jaeger and Mourant, 2001 ; Lin et al, 2002 ; Min et al, 2004 ; Sharples et al, 2008 ; Bruck and Watters, 2009a , b , 2011 ; Moss and Muth, 2011 ; Biernacki and Dziuda, 2014 ; Brunnström et al, 2017 ). The brevity and simplicity of the questionnaire are its assets, as in many study designs it is being used at least twice to assess the changes in occurrence and severity of simulator sickness’ symptoms.…”

Exploring the Participant-Related Determinants of Simulator Sickness in a Physical Motion Car Rollover Simulation as Measured by the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire

“…Interestingly, burping was more severe before than after the simulation. Applying the SSQ both before and after the exposure is consistent with the original study design used by Kennedy [ 4 ], and pre-tests have been used as a baseline in numerous studies on MS, SS, and CS [ 31 , 36 , 56 , 61 ], but the psychological mechanisms behind the incidence of pre-exposure symptoms are complex and unclear. It seems that the stress associated with the expected participation in a simulation may have triggered SS symptoms and thus influenced the pre-test results [ 62 ].…”

“…Some researchers found a link between SS and specific movement patterns or postural instability, the latter of which was reported to be more prevalent in older adults and females [ 24 , 33 , 40 , 47 , 70 , 71 ]. Additional participant-related factors reportedly increasing susceptibility include lower concentration level, variable mood and energetic arousal, weaker feeling of presence in simulated environment, tendency for pain catastrophising, higher anxiety levels, neuroticism, perceptual style, Chinese ethnicity, health status, and even better aerobic fitness [ 15 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 61 , 72 ].…”