Understanding the distinctions in, and impacts of, hand-based sensorimotor interaction in immersive virtual reality; via second language learning

It is widely accepted that immersive virtual reality (IVR) depends on head-based sensorimotor interaction, and the implications and impacts of this interaction are well-explored. However, an additional sensorimotor interaction found in many contemporary IVR experiences, hand-based sensorimotor interaction (HBSI), has received far less attention. This is a notable gap in literature, as in the physical world, HBSI is strongly linked with cognition and cognitive out comes; and is particularly linked with second language learning. This thesis explores HBSI in IVR by examining whether different implementations of HBSI impact cognitive outcomes; and whether cognitive outcomes from HBSI in IVR are congruent with HBSI in the physical world. These findings are also used to comment on how users cognitively perceive the sensorimotor actions they take in virtual environments, as well as on theories of embodied cognition