The Effect of Learning in a Virtual Environment on Explicit and Implicit Memory by Applying a Process Dissociation Procedure

Abstract

Virtual reality-based neuropsychological assessment has unique features that have the potential to increase the level of ecological validity of test results. Based on findings from the literature on the task difficulty of cognitive tasks embedded into virtual environments, we aimed to explore the task difficulty hypothesis of virtual reality in memory assessment. Our main objective was to test for differences or equivalences between performance on explicit and on implicit memory tasks in three learning environments: a computerized measure, a 3D desktop environment and a 3D virtual environment. Seventy-seven healthy participants, aged between 19 and 39 years old, enrolled in the study and were randomly assigned to the learning conditions and responded to typical virtual reality measures. Outcomes of explicit and implicit memory resulted after applying Process Dissociation Procedure. One-way ANOVA did not reveal a significant main effect of learning environment on explicit memory performance and equivalence testing showed similar performance on implicit memory across the learning conditions. In our study, both controlled and automatic memory processes were not influenced by the learning environment.

Caught virtually lying—crime scenes in virtual reality help to expose suspects’ concealed recognition.

“…In domains such as medicine, engineering, and emergency response, VR has been shown to be effective for training professionals (Häfner, Häfner, & Ovtcharova, 2013). Yet, other studies assessing memory for information acquired in VR, but tested in the real world, suggests there is either no advantage of VR as a learning tool, compared to traditional methods (Voinescu & David, 2019), or that learning suffers (Lanen & Lamers, 2018). Although research into the benefits of acquiring knowledge via VR is mixed, there are good reasons why VR may enhance memory strength, or the salience of information learned in the real world; something not yet tested.…”

Influence of Hand Tracking in Immersive Virtual Reality for Memory Assessment

“…IVR studies involving participants without a diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases-Virtual environments have different immersion levels, so there are divided criteria for the effects produced in the evaluation and cognitive rehabilitation processes. On the one hand, the results obtained by [40] mention that greater immersion offers better performance, while [41,42] describe that there is no significant relationship. Therefore, there is a need to develop more investigations that allow the analysis of the elements that contribute to the immersion of the system.…”