How Cultural Background Affects Cognitive and Motor Learning Using Virtual Reality

Overview

This observational study examined how long-term cultural background is associated with differences in cognitive and motor learning within a virtual reality environment. Forty-three healthy university students participated in four days of standardized assessment procedures involving cognitive testing, fine-motor evaluation, and performance on a virtual reality (VR) task. Participants were classified into two pre-existing groups based on long-term cultural exposure: a Home group (lived mainly in their native country) and an Abroad group (lived abroad for at least ten years). All participants completed the same assessment procedures. The study observed natural variations in cognitive performance, motor coordination, and VR learning progression across sessions.

This observational study examined how long-term cultural background is associated with differences in cognitive and motor learning within a virtual reality (VR) environment. The study used a case-control design based on naturally existing groups. Participants were not assigned to conditions. Instead, they were classified into two groups according to their long-term cultural exposure: a Home group (lived primarily in their native country for at least ten years) and an Abroad group (lived abroad for at least ten years). All participants followed the exact same schedule and attended the study sessions on four fixed days: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and the following Monday. This controlled scheduling ensured that all participants experienced the same time intervals between sessions, eliminating variability due to inconsistent spacing. During Day 1, participants completed baseline assessments, including: CogniFit cognitive battery, evaluating attention, memory, processing speed, and executive functions Purdue Pegboard Test, assessing fine-motor coordination IFIS scale (Index of Fit Self-Perception) to assess physical fitness Cultural Intelligence Scale (CQS) to measure cultural intelligence After completing the baseline assessments on Day 1, participants performed the standardized VR learning task (Beat Saber). On Days 2 and 3 (Wednesday and Friday), participants completed only the VR Beat Saber task. These sessions were used to measure progression of visuomotor learning, accuracy, speed, and performance over time. On Day 4 (the following Monday), participants again completed: CogniFit cognitive battery Purdue Pegboard Test The VR Beat Saber task Repeating these tests on Day 4 allowed the study to evaluate changes in cognitive performance and motor coordination across the study period, as well as overall VR learning progression. All procedures and assessments were identical for both groups. The study did not manipulate behavior or deliver interventions; instead, it observed naturally occurring differences in learning and performance across participants with different long-term cultural backgrounds. This design allowed the analysis of how cultural exposure may relate to cognitive adaptation, motor learning, and VR-based task progression. No biospecimens were collected.