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Updated: Aug 11, 2026
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Development of a Virtual Reality Assessment of Everyday Living Skills
Published on: April 23, 2014
Exploring Cognitive Functions Through Virtual Reality: a Systematic Review of Ecologically Valid Assessments
Egoitz Carral-Trucios1, Miguel Martinez-Zaldivar2, Miguel Saura-Carrasco3
1University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain.
Neuropsychology Review
|August 10, 2026
Summary
Immersive head-mounted display (HMD) virtual reality (VR) tools show promise for cognitive assessment, but require more rigorous psychometric validation across diverse age groups. Future research needs standardized protocols for reliable and generalizable results.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Human-Computer Interaction
Background:
- Ecological assessment of cognition is crucial for understanding real-world functioning.
- Immersive head-mounted display (HMD) virtual reality (VR) offers novel environments for cognitive testing.
- Psychometric properties of HMD-VR tools require systematic evaluation across developmental stages.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review the psychometric properties of HMD-VR tools for cognitive assessment.
- To evaluate evidence for validity and reliability in different developmental groups.
- To identify limitations and suggest future research directions for HMD-VR cognitive assessment.
Main Methods:
- PRISMA-guided systematic review of studies published January 2021-March 2025.
- Searched PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, and Web of Science.
- Included studies assessing attention, inhibitory control, memory, and executive functions using HMD-VR.
Main Results:
- Twenty-one studies met inclusion criteria; convergent validity was most reported (67%), with low-to-moderate correlations (r=0.29-0.66).
- Test-retest reliability (9.5%) and construct validity (14%) were underreported.
- Predictive validity (24%) showed variable results, often lacking longitudinal or multi-informant data; child/adolescent studies had smaller samples and less validation.
Conclusions:
- HMD-VR tools can elicit ecologically relevant cognitive behaviors and capture unique performance features.
- Current evidence is limited by methodological variability, restricted age diversity, and underreporting of psychometric indices.
- Future research must standardize validation, include diverse developmental samples, and use multi-informant/longitudinal designs for ecological validity and clinical generalizability.
