3D virtual environment as a sport psychological rehabilitation tool to enhance performance of volleyball athletes

Abstract

This study identified the pre-competitive state anxiety level among volleyball athletes in Malaysia by assessing psychology changes on the cognitive anxiety, somatic anxiety, self-confidence and several physiological parameters such as heart rate, blood pressure and skin conductance. A 3D virtual environment intervention program was then introduced as a psychological rehabilitation tool to enhance athlete’s self-confidence level and to reduce their anxiety levels. The 3D virtual environment follows Paivio’s theoretical framework, in which implementation of virtual learning of different skill sets, external factors of the environment and match strategies were introduced in stages using a cost-effective Google Cardboard HMD unit. A quasi experimental design consists of 20 respondents in an experimental group and 20 respondents in a control group was conducted within a period of one month with 12 sessions for the experimental group, while the control group only followed the regular volleyball training. The findings clearly demonstrated an overall improvement upon completion of the psychological rehabilitation program. The experimental group results displayed positive changes in terms of the psychological responses where the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test indicated statistically significant improvements for cognitive anxiety, somatic anxiety and self-confidence for the experimental group (Z> ±1.96). The T-Distribution test also indicated statistically significant improvements (p < 0.05) of the physiological responses (heart rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and skin conductance) for the experimental group. However, the results of control group indicated lack of improvements or insignificant changes in both psychological and physiological responses. Therefore, it was proven that 3D virtual environment can be utilized as an effective psychological rehabilitation tool to overcome the pre-competitive state anxiety levels and to enhance the self-confidence level of volleyball athletes.