Exploring the Impact of Virtual Reality on Users’ Perception, Adaptive Behaviors, and Physiological Responses for High-Intensity Activities

Abstract This study aims to develop a model for using virtual reality to assess visual perceptions, thermal perceptions, their impacts on users’ physiological responses, and task completion time. The study results revealed significant differences in relation to visual conditions on thermal perception. However, there was no significant difference relating to thermal conditions on visual perception, except for preferences. The combined effect of visual and thermal conditions revealed no significance across visual perception. There were no statistically significant differences in physiological responses under visual conditions (Sig. = 0.46). Additionally, the results revealed that air temperature and visual conditions had a significant impact on average thermal perception, whereas visual conditions alone had a substantial influence on average visual perception. Body mass index, ethnic groups, and gender had no significant relationship with thermal and visual perception (Sig. > 0.05). Heart rate (HR) did not have a moderating role in the same modal and cross-modal effects. However, there was a significant difference between the task completion time for cool white and warm yellow light (Sig. = 0.000). The paper concludes that air temperature and visual conditions significantly impact perception. Also, thermal variations affect HR but do not translate to a moderating effect of perception. HR changes do not affect how users perceive thermal or visual stimuli in the same modality and cross-modality effects.