Ampere: using the military resilience monitor to predict physiological stress responses of soldiers operating in a controlled virtual reality training scenario

The increasing development of both gaming and simulation technology and applied miniaturized sensor and monitoring technology represents a great opportunity for advancing resilience of employees that might experience high levels of stress during their military career. Therefore, we developed a Virtual Reality (VR) platform for a controllable induction of stress and used clinical equipment to monitor physiological stress responses (e.g., cardiac output, total peripheral resistance and cortisol-levels). In addition, the Military Resilience Monitor (MRM) was applied and enrolled in the run-up of the experiment to assess whether the relatively stable resilience resources measured in the MRM can predict some state-stressresponses. 64 cadets of the Royal Dutch Academy volunteered to participate and responded on VR military patrol scenarios. Analyses revealed e.g., that the MRM concept of instructorsupport is related to higher saliva cortisol levels (r2 = .42; p < 0.01), implying that if the cadets receive more instructor support that lead to higher physical activation. The coping style ‘acceptance’ is related to higher level of total peripheral resistance (r2 = .270; p < 0.05), suggesting that people with this coping style, experience the VR platform as more threatening and effortful. And the coping style humor is related to a higher heart rate (r2 = .32; p < 0.02) and cardiac output (i.e., r2 = .33; p < 0.01), confirming that people who take challenges with humor need in general higher levels of activation and effort. Further results will be discussed during the Resilience Symposium at the IMTA 2018, in Kingston/Canada.