A Comparison of a Real-world and Animated Lifeguard Environment

A variety of performance tasks have been utilized to assess lifeguard drowning detection abilities. Due tothe logistical complexities involved in capturing real-life drowning scenarios—such as securing poolfacilities, orchestrating scripted drowning events, and controlling environmental variables—recent studieshave turned to animated simulations. However, questions linger regarding the reliability of data gatheredfrom these simulated environments. To address these concerns and evaluate the validity of a previouslyemployed animated performance tool, we conducted a comparative analysis with real-world recordedtasks. Additionally, we sought to explore the impact of lifeguard experience and task duration onperformance metrics specific to lifeguarding. Our study enlisted 32 participants in a within-subject design.Consistent with prior research, individuals with lifeguarding experience demonstrated superiorperformance compared to novices. Furthermore, performance levels declined over the course of the 30-minute tasks. Our analysis revealed that the animated tool produced comparable objective performanceresults to those obtained from real-world recordings, thus affirming its external validity. Subjectiveassessments of the animated tool corroborated its ecological validity as a measure of lifeguardingperformance. These findings underscore the value of animated simulations in lifeguarding research whileemphasizing the safety considerations associated with prolonged monitoring periods.