Journal article
Teaching children pedestrian safety in virtual reality via smartphone: a noninferiority randomized clinical trial
Journal of pediatric psychology, v 49(6), pp 405-412
Jun 2024
PMID: 38637283
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
To evaluate whether child pedestrian safety training in a smartphone-based virtual reality (VR) environment is not inferior to training in a large, semi-immersive VR environment with demonstrated effectiveness.
Five hundred 7- and 8-year-old children participated; 479 were randomized to one of two conditions: Learning to cross streets in a smartphone-based VR or learning in a semi-immersive kiosk VR. The systems used identical virtual environments and scenarios. At baseline, children's pedestrian skills were assessed in both VR systems and through a vehicle approach estimation task (judging speed/distance of oncoming traffic on monitor). Training in both conditions comprised at least six 30-min sessions in the randomly assigned VR platform and continued for up to 25 visits until adult-level proficiency was obtained. Following training and again 6 months later, children completed pedestrian safety assessments identical to baseline. Three outcomes were considered from assessments in each VR platform: Unsafe crossings (collisions plus close calls), time to contact (shortest time between child and oncoming simulated traffic), and missed opportunities (unselected safe opportunities to cross).
Participants achieved adult-level street-crossing skill through VR training. Training in a smartphone-based VR system was generally not inferior to training in a large semi-immersive VR system. There were no adverse effects.
Seven- and 8-year-old children can learn pedestrian safety through VR-based training, including training in a smartphone-based VR system. Combined with recent meta-analytic results, the present findings support broad implementation and dissemination of child pedestrian safety training through VR, including smartphone-based VR systems.
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Details
- Title
- Teaching children pedestrian safety in virtual reality via smartphone: a noninferiority randomized clinical trial
- Creators
- David C Schwebel (Corresponding Author) - University of Alabama at BirminghamAnna Johnston - University of Alabama at BirminghamDominique McDaniel - Drexel UniversityJoan Severson - Digital Artefacts (United States)Yefei He - Digital Artefacts (United States)Leslie A McClure - Drexel University
- Publication Details
- Journal of pediatric psychology, v 49(6), pp 405-412
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Grant note
- R01HD088415 / NIH HHS NCT02948400 / NIH HHS
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:001204854100001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85196229673
- Other Identifier
- 991021869106204721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Psychology, Developmental