Dr. Hunter Martaindale is the Director of Research at the
Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) Center at Texas State University and an Associate Research Professor within the School of Criminal Justice and Criminology. In this role, he oversees all research activities for ALERRT, including analyzing active shooter events, conducting active shooter
training program evaluations through experimental design, and testing methods/interventions to improve law enforcement decision-making and overall performance. Beyond that, Hunter actively supports other researchers with applied policing projects in an effort to get actionable results to practitioners.

In this podcast, Dr. Martindale discusses his research on
virtual reality (VR) training in law enforcement. The purpose of the study was to determine if VR training scenarios can elicit a similar stress response as
realistic scenario-based training. The study involved two phases: a scenario-based training phase and a VR training phase. Participants went through a high-fidelity scenario involving professional actors and simulated
injuries. The same scenario was then recreated in VR. Salivary measures of stress were collected before and after each training phase. The results showed that VR
training was able to elicit  similar physiological stress responses as realistic scenario-based, or high-fidelity training. VR can be a valuable tool for law enforcement agencies and trainers to replicate real-life scenarios and ensure consistent training for all officers. However,
VR should not replace in-person training entirely and should be used as a supplement. VR technology has improved significantly, and agencies should actively investigate and incorporate VR into their training programs.

Takeaways

Virtual reality (VR) training has the potential to bridge
the gap between law enforcement training and academic research.

VR training can supplement in-person training and help
retain skills that may not come up in an officer's day-to-day job.

Measuring heart rate alone is not a reliable indicator of
stress response; other measures, such as salivary markers, can provide more
accurate results.

High-fidelity scenarios with professional actors can enhance the realism of training and elicit a stronger stress response.

The study found that VR training was able to elicit a
similar stress response as realistic scenario-based training. VR training elicited similar physiological stress responses as high-fidelity scenario-based training.

VR can be a valuable tool for law enforcement agencies and
trainers to replicate real-life scenarios and ensure consistent training.

VR should be used as a supplement to in-person training and not as a replacement.

Future research should focus on the long-term effects of VR training on skill development and retention.

The technology has improved significantly, with better
refresh rates and reduced motion sickness.

Agencies should actively investigate and incorporate VR into their training programs.