Simulated environments with animated agents: effects on visual attention, emotion, performance, and perception

• Published in: Journal of computer assisted learning Vol. 32; no. 4; pp. 360 - 373
• Main Authors: Romero-Hall, E., Watson, G. S., Adcock, A., Bliss, J., Adams Tufts, K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.08.2016; Wiley-Blackwell; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: animated agents; Animation; Attention; CAI; Computer assisted instruction; Computer simulation; Computer Uses in Education; Educational Technology; emotion; Emotions; Learning; Nonverbal Communication; Nursing; Nursing Students; Perception; Perceptions; Psychological Patterns; Scores; Simulated Environment; Simulation; simulations; Tasks; Training; Visual; visual attention; Visual Learning; Visual Perception
• ISSN: 0266-4909; 1365-2729
• DOI: 10.1111/jcal.12138

This research assessed how emotive animated agents in a simulation‐based training affect the performance outcomes and perceptions of the individuals interacting in real time with the training application. A total of 56 participants consented to complete the study. The material for this investigation included a nursing simulation in which participants interacted with three animated agents. The results of this investigation indicated that both experienced and novice participants focused more visual attention time on the body of the animated agent than the other defined areas of interest in the simulated environment. The results also indicated that novice participants conveyed more neutral facial expressions during the interaction with the animated agents than experience participants. The results of the simulation performance scores indicated that novice participants achieved higher simulation performance scores on the simulation task than experienced participants. Lastly, the results of the agent persona instrument showed that experienced and novice participants perceived the animated agents as facilitators of learning, credible, human‐like and engaging.