Realidad virtual y pantallas digitales: Un estudio comparativo sobre la comprensión simbólica infantil en entornos digitales e inmersivos

Digital screens are prevalent in everyday life. Various studies have investigated the understanding and symbolic use of images on tablets, smartphones and televisions. However, research on the early symbolic understanding of immersive images is still an emerging field. This study investigated the comprehension of immersive and non-immersive images in children aged 30 and 36 months, with and without instruction. In a search task, the same video was presented either via a virtual reality headset or a tablet, with or without information about the function of the images as a source of information to solve the task. The video showed the location of a hidden object in a physical space. The results showed that immersion made the task more difficult in both age groups. The instruction did not lead to any significant differences depending on device or age. Furthermore, learning success during the task was evident regardless of age, instruction or device. Keywords: symbolic understanding, immersion, virtual reality, child development.