Almost There: Evaluating the Psychological and Motor Impact of Near-Miss “White Lie” Feedback in Virtual Rehabilitation

Haruka Murakami, Tetsunari Inamura

Abstract: Feedback systems often aim to boost user motivation in virtual rehabilitation through performance-enhancing visual manipulations. While previous studies have shown that positively biased feedback can improve engagement, few have examined how such strategies affect long-term motor learning and user perception once the input is removed. This study explores the psychological and motor effects of a novel “White Lie” feedback design, which simulates the experience of “almost succeeding” rather than outright success. During a virtual ball-throwing task, thirty-two participants were assigned to one of four groups—Control, Fixed Support, Variable Support, and Ball-throwing. The support manipulated the perceived distance between the thrown ball and the target without altering physical input. Results showed that participants in the White Lie conditions reported significantly lower perceived task difficulty and greater reduction in difficulty over time. Regression analyses indicated that perceived support and early task performance were key predictors of psychological engagement. Notably, the variable support group, which mimicked the fading of training wheels, achieved reduced difficulty without explicit awareness of the support. Although the intervention did not significantly improve motor performance, early success was strongly linked to later motivation. These findings suggest that “near-miss” feedback can enhance subjective experience and promote sustained engagement, providing a psychologically safe support method without impairing motor fidelity. This strategy may hold promise for applications in motivational rehabilitation design.

External IDs:doi:10.1007/978-3-032-03805-0_11