Virtual Reality in Decision-Making Training: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

In recent years, the influence of virtual reality (VR) on decision-making training has garnered significant attention across various studies. Despite this growing interest, there remains a noticeable gap in the form of a comprehensive systematic review that could highlight research trends and elucidate the mechanisms through which VR impacts decision-making. To address this gap, we conducted an extensive systematic literature review coupled with a meta-analysis. Our objective was to achieve a deeper understanding of how VR affects decision-making training and to evaluate its effectiveness. Our review process involved a thorough examination of 39 scholarly articles, out of which 10 were selected for a detailed meta-analysis. This approach allowed us to identify prevailing trends in the use of VR within the context of decision-making training. We also examined the key technical features of VR that are most influential in this area. Simultaneously, we assessed various study designs. Meta-analysis indicating a small to moderate positive effect of VR on decision-making training (g = 0.317). The insights gained from our research make a substantial contribution to the existing literature by not only mapping out the current state of VR research in decision-making training but also by identifying effective technical and design features.