Abstract
Episodic memory is essential to effectively perform a number of daily activities, as it enables individuals to consciously recall experiences within their spatial and temporal environments. Virtual Reality (VR) serves as an efficacious instrument to assess cognitive functions like attention and memory. Previous studies have adopted computer-simulated VR to assess memory, which realized greater benefits compared to traditional procedures (paper and pencil). One of the most recent trends of immersive VR experiences is the 360° technology. In order to evaluate its capabilities, this study aims to compare memory performance through two tasks: immersive task and non-immersive task. These tasks differ based on the participant’s view of the 360° picture: (1) head-mounted display (HMD) for immersive task and (2) tablet for non-immersive task. This study seeks to compare how memory is facilitated in both the 360° immersive picture as well as the non-immersive 360° picture. A repeated measure design was carried out in a sample of 42 participants, randomized into two groups of 21. Group 1 first observed Picture A (immersive) followed by Picture B (non-immersive) while Group 2 began with Picture B and then looked at Picture A. Each 360° picture contains specific items with some items appearing in both. Memory evaluation is assessed immediately after the exposure (recall task), then again after a 10-min delay (recognition task). Results reveal that Group 1, which began with the immersive task, demonstrated stronger memory performance in the long term as compared to Group 2, which began with the non-immersive task. Preliminary data ultimately supports the efficacy of the 360° technology in evaluating cognitive function.
Highlights
In the last few decades, Virtual Reality (VR) has shown to be an efficacious instrument in assessing cognitive functions such as attention, memory, and executive functions
The 360° camera is an innovative technology in the field of immersive VR
Researchers have investigated the validity of 360° technology to assess episodic memory (Serino et al, 2017; Negro-Cousa et al, 2019)
Summary
In the last few decades, Virtual Reality (VR) has shown to be an efficacious instrument in assessing cognitive functions such as attention, memory, and executive functions. Traditional methods consist of a set of predefined stimuli delivered in a controlled environment via paper-and-pencil or computer systems (Wilson et al, 1989; Negut et al, 2016); they have only a moderate level of ecological validity in predicting real-world performance (Alvarez and Emory, 2006; Parsons, 2015) To overcome this limitation, researchers have adopted VR approaches to develop neuropsychological programs that evaluate participants in situations as close as possible to real life (Parsons and Rizzo, 2008; Parsons, 2015; Gamito et al, 2017; Parsons and Barnett, 2017). Results have been encouraging, highlighting the advantages of using VR for cognitive assessment (Faria et al, 2016; Gamito et al, 2018), the development of these virtual environments requires a high economic investment, both in software and hardware requirements
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