VR as an assessment tool in late childhood: A systematic review.

Abstract

The increasing accessibility of immersive virtual reality has opened new avenues for psychological assessment, particularly in child populations. This systematic review synthesizes findings from 65 studies exploring how VR has been employed to evaluate various psychological constructs in children ranging from attention and executive functioning to emotion regulation, social information processing, and fear-related responses. The review identifies and categorizes key VR-based assessment frameworks, such as virtual classrooms, streets, and social simulations, and maps them against corresponding outcome measures, including behavioral, physiological, cognitive, and affective data. Findings highlight the strengths of VR in offering ecologically valid, interactive, and engaging environments that may overcome some of the limitations of traditional assessments.

However, challenges remain regarding standardization, data interpretation, and individual variability in VR experience. This review underscores the potential of VR as a promising complementary assessment tool and emphasizes the need for further empirical validation and methodological refinement to ensure its robustness, particularly in clinical contexts.