{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,5]],"date-time":"2025-12-05T17:21:13Z","timestamp":1764955273126,"version":"3.46.0"},"reference-count":37,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,5]],"date-time":"2025-12-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1764892800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Virtual Worlds"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: The consequences of video games have been a hotly debated topic in recent decades. While the media tend to focus on and publicize the alleged negative effects of video games, the empirical literature continues to research to illustrate the benefits of playing certain types of video games. Objective: With this paper we want to highlight the utility of virtual reality technology for improving reaction time. Methods: A total of 32 Romanian students, aged 17 to 19, were recruited from a high school in Cluj-Napoca. The experimental group took part in a virtual realitybased intervention, while the control group only attended the standard physical education classes included in the school curriculum. To assess simple and complex reaction time, we used the Deary\u2013Liewald reaction time test. Descriptive statistics and t-tests were used to compare participant characteristics between the two groups. The significance level for all statistical analyses was set at p &lt; 0.05. Results: Subjects in the experimental group (M = 382.75, SD = 21.30) showed statistically significant improvements (p &lt; 0.05) at final testing compared to the control group (M = 396.88, SD: 25.37) in the complex reaction time Deary\u2013Liewald test (t = \u22121.70, p = 0.04, d = \u22120.60). Conclusions: As technology continues to advance, new possibilities have emerged for reducing reaction time through cutting-edge tools like virtual reality. Our study shows that a well-structured 6-month virtual reality program can improve simple and complex reaction time in high school students.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/virtualworlds4040059","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,5]],"date-time":"2025-12-05T16:37:02Z","timestamp":1764952622000},"page":"59","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Virtual Reality Can Be Used to Reduce the Simple and Complex Reaction Time of High School Students"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"4","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0008-3732-8970","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"\u0218tefan","family":"Moro\u0219anu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, \u201cBabes-Bolyai\u201d University, Pandurilor Street 7, 400394 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7332-1628","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maria Cristina","family":"Man","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physical Education and Sports, \u201cDecember 1, 1918\u201d University, Strada Gabriel Bethlen 5, 510009 Alba Iulia, Romania"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-4566-6417","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nicola","family":"Mancini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Education and Sport Sciences, Pegaso Telematic University, 80143 Naples, Italy"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0904-9041","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Carlos","family":"Herv\u00e1s-G\u00f3mez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Teaching and Educational Organization, University of Sevilla, 41013 Sevilla, Spain"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2846-9586","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Emilia Florina","family":"Grosu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, \u201cBabes-Bolyai\u201d University, Pandurilor Street 7, 400394 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0004-8756-4614","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mihai","family":"Moro\u0219anu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, \u201cBabes-Bolyai\u201d University, Pandurilor Street 7, 400394 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-8705-3790","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hora\u021biu","family":"Ghejan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, \u201cBabes-Bolyai\u201d University, Pandurilor Street 7, 400394 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0002-3243-2759","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mircea","family":"Boncu\u021b","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, \u201cBabes-Bolyai\u201d University, Pandurilor Street 7, 400394 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4636-4892","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Dana Ioana","family":"Cristea","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physical Education, Sport and Physiotherapy, University of Oradea, 410087 Oradea, Romania"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4846-4491","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Vlad Teodor","family":"Grosu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Industrial Engineering, Robotics, and Production Management, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Muncii Street 103\u2013105, 400461 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"15","article-title":"Effect of a Full Immersive Virtual Reality Intervention on Whole Body Reaction Time in Children","volume":"4","author":"Amprasi","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int. 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