The influence of visual manipulations on behavioural, physiological and perceptual responses in the heat: A multi-experiment, mixed methods approach
Abstract
Thermal perception is essential for human survival through its influence on behavioural thermoregulation. Existing literature suggests that thermal perception can be altered by simple visual manipulations, but this has not been empirically investigated using more contemporary immersive tools such as virtual reality or during exposure to high ambient environments. We tested the hypothesis that visual manipulation, using virtual reality (VR), would alter thermal perception during both rest and exercise in ambient temperatures above ≥ 35 °C. Across three separate experiments, participants cycled at a fixed intensity in 35 °C (experiment 1, n=16), rested in 40 °C (experiment 2, n=12), or completed a fixed-RPE protocol in 35 °C (experiment 3, n=12). Participants completed three visits for each experiment; a ‘hot’ VR environment, a ‘cold’ VR environment, and No VR environment. A single, participant-blind, block randomised controlled, cross-over design was employed. Key outcome measures were thermal comfort, thermal sensation, behavioural thermoregulation, and thermophysiological variables. Additionally, participants were interviewed to explore their perceptual experience in depth, and this added insightful data about their experiences. Visual manipulation had no effect on thermal sensation, thermal comfort, behavioural thermoregulation or any other thermophysiological variables (all p > 0.05). It is concluded that visual manipulations using virtual reality do not alter thermal perceptual, behavioural thermoregulation or thermophysiolological variables during rest or exercise in the heat, but interview data suggest participants believed the VR environments had more of an effect than elucidated quantitatively. These novel findings provide evidence that the hue-heat hypothesis may only exist in thermoneutral environments, further research should confirm this in other (e.g. cold) environments.
Related
- The effect of differences in viewing environment and method on physiological responses and perceptual stability while viewing three-dimensional images
- Under pressure: personality, behavioural and physiological responses to handling in captive Addax nasomaculatus antelopes
- The cost of saying no: behavioural, physiological, motor, and agency-related responses to corruption under threat in immersive virtual reality
- Physiological validation of a deep flexion knee platform and influence of quadriceps force direction
- Multimodal Machine Learning Approaches to Detect Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Using Physiological and Behavioural Biomarkers: A Systematic Review.
BibTeX
@misc{mayes2026influence,
title = {{The influence of visual manipulations on behavioural, physiological and perceptual responses in the heat: A multi-experiment, mixed methods approach}},
author = {Harry Mayes and Liam Satchell and Martina Navarro and Daniel Muller and Finlay Morgan and Juan Ignacio Badariotti and Danny White and Mike Tipton and Zac Schlader and Soichi Ando},
howpublished = {PsyArXiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.31234/osf.io/xmj6t_v1},
url = {https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/xmj6t_v1/},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - The influence of visual manipulations on behavioural, physiological and perceptual responses in the heat: A multi-experiment, mixed methods approach
AU - Harry Mayes
AU - Liam Satchell
AU - Martina Navarro
AU - Daniel Muller
AU - Finlay Morgan
AU - Juan Ignacio Badariotti
AU - Danny White
AU - Mike Tipton
AU - Zac Schlader
AU - Soichi Ando
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/19
PB - PsyArXiv
DO - 10.31234/osf.io/xmj6t_v1
UR - https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/xmj6t_v1/
AB - Thermal perception is essential for human survival through its influence on behavioural thermoregulation. Existing literature suggests that thermal perception can be altered by simple visual manipulations, but this has not been empirically investigated using more contemporary immersive tools such as virtual reality or during exposure to high ambient environments. We tested the hypothesis that visual manipulation, using virtual reality (VR), would alter thermal perception during both rest and exercise in ambient temperatures above ≥ 35 °C. Across three separate experiments, participants cycled at a fixed intensity in 35 °C (experiment 1, n=16), rested in 40 °C (experiment 2, n=12), or completed a fixed-RPE protocol in 35 °C (experiment 3, n=12). Participants completed three visits for each experiment; a ‘hot’ VR environment, a ‘cold’ VR environment, and No VR environment. A single, participant-blind, block randomised controlled, cross-over design was employed. Key outcome measures were thermal comfort, thermal sensation, behavioural thermoregulation, and thermophysiological variables. Additionally, participants were interviewed to explore their perceptual experience in depth, and this added insightful data about their experiences. Visual manipulation had no effect on thermal sensation, thermal comfort, behavioural thermoregulation or any other thermophysiological variables (all p > 0.05). It is concluded that visual manipulations using virtual reality do not alter thermal perceptual, behavioural thermoregulation or thermophysiolological variables during rest or exercise in the heat, but interview data suggest participants believed the VR environments had more of an effect than elucidated quantitatively. These novel findings provide evidence that the hue-heat hypothesis may only exist in thermoneutral environments, further research should confirm this in other (e.g. cold) environments.
ER -