title: Dissociation of past and present experience in problem solving using a virtual environment.
abstract: An interactive 3D desktop virtual environment task was created to investigate learning mechanisms in human problem solving. Participants were assessed for previous video game experience, divided into two groups (Training and Control), and matched for gender and experience. The Training group learned specific skills within the virtual environment before being presented a problem. The Control group was presented the problem only. Completion time was faster for the Training group and was affected by level of previous video game experience. Results indicated problem solving was a function of specific and general experience and demonstrated a method for dissociating these two facets of experience.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Armstrong Atlantic State University, Savannah, Georgia 31419, USA. bradley.sturz@armstrong.edu
authors.forename: Bradley R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Sturz
authors.forename: Kent D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Bodily
authors.forename: Jeffrey S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Katz
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D005260:Female; D005717:Games, Experimental; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D007858:Learning / Q000145:classification*; D008297:Male; D016555:Matched-Pair Analysis; D011939:Mental Recall; D011214:Practice, Psychological; D011340:Problem Solving; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000379:methods; D012016:Reference Values; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D018910:Video Games / Q000523:psychology