An initial validation of the Virtual Environment Grocery Store.

BACKGROUND

Virtual reality-based neuropsychological assessments proffer the potential to address the limited ecological validity of pen-and-paper measures of memory.

NEW METHOD

To investigate the construct validity of a newly developed virtual reality-based multiple errands task, the Virtual Environment Grocery Store (VEGS), two studies were performed.

COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHOD(S): In Study 1, we explored construct validity via comparison of traditional neuropsychological measures of memory and executive functioning with a low distraction condition of the VEGS. In Study 2, a new sample was used to compare traditional neuropsychological measures of memory and executive functioning with a high distraction condition of the VEGS.

RESULTS

Performances on the VEGS memory tasks (in Study 1: low distraction condition) and the traditional neuropsychological assessments of memory were positively correlated, indicating that memory for VEGS content was similar to memory for traditional paper-and-pencil measures. Again, in Study 2, performances on the VEGS memory tasks correlated with the traditional neuropsychological assessments of memory, indicating that memory for VEGS content was similar to memory for traditional paper-and-pencil measures. As expected, though, the addition of distractors into the virtual environment resulted in significant correlations with traditional measures of inhibitory control.

CONCLUSIONS

The VEGS has the advantage over traditional measures of providing objective measurement of individual components of memory in simulations of everyday activities.