08/04/2026
New publication in the area of VR available at IOCHI 2026 Conference.
Immersive virtual reality (VR) provides a powerful platform for studying cognitive regulation in complex, realistic task environments. In vocational training contexts, individuals must manage instructional support, regulate cognitive effort, and progressively translate guided actions into independent performance—core processes underlying applied human intelligence. In the present study, cognitive regulation is understood as the ability to manage cognitive effort, monitor performance, and adapt behavior as instructional support is reduced. Despite growing interest in VR-based learning, less is known about how learners adapt when instructional scaffolding is reduced, particularly in tasks that require both procedural knowledge and embodied interaction.
The present study investigates behavioral indicators of cognitive
regulation in a VR-based coffee preparation task using hand-tracking interaction. By comparing performance across a fully guided trial and a subsequent reduced-guidance trial, we examine how learners adjust their strategies, efficiency, and perceived workload. Specifically, the study aims to identify how prior VR experience and real-world task expertise influence adaptive performance, with a focus on temporal task metrics, interaction errors, and subjective workload. This work highlights the potential of VR as a tool for capturing fine-grained behavioral markers of learning, adaptation, and applied intelligence in ecologically valid settings.
