The collaborative cube puzzle: a comparison of virtual and real environments

In this study we compared collaboration on a puzzle-solving task carried out by two persons in a virtual and a real environment. The task, putting together a cube consisting of different coloured blocks in a 'Rubiks' cubetype puzzle, was performed both in a shared virtual environment (VE) setting, using a Cave-type virtual reality (VR) system networked with a desktop VR system, and with cardboard coloured blocks in an equivalent real setting. The aims of the study were to investigate collaboration, leadership and performance in the two settings. We found that the participants contributed unequally to the task in the VE, and also differences in collaboration between the virtual and the real setting.