Using a Computer-Based Virtual Environment to Assess Social Cognition in Aging: An Exploratory Study of the REALSoCog Task

Abstract

Although previous studies have suggested that some component processes of social cognition decline in normal aging, several methodological limitations can be pointed out. Traditional sociocognitive tasks assess processes separately and lack ecological validity. In the present study, the main aim was to propose an integrative social cognition assessment in normal aging using an original computer-based task developed in non-immersive virtual reality. Forty-five young adults (YA) and 50 older adults (OA) were asked to navigate in a simulated city environment and to judge several situations that they encountered. These situations investigated social norms by displaying control or (conventional/moral) transgressions. Following each situation, the participants were asked several questions in order to assess their ability to make moral judgments, affective and cognitive theory of mind, emotional reactivity and empathy, and the propensity to act in a socially appropriate or inappropriate way. The main results showed (i) a preserved ability to detect moral and conventional transgressions with advancing age; (ii) participants’ preserved cognitive ToM abilities; (iii) an age-related decline in affective ToM, that disappeared when the victim was a senior; (iv) preserved emotional reactivity and emotional empathy in normal aging; (v) an increase in inappropriate behavioral intentions in normal aging. Offering more naturalistic conditions, this new task is an interesting integrative measure of sociocognitive functioning to better reflect social behavior in daily living.

Being in Virtual Reality and Its Influence on Brain Health—An Overview of Benefits, Limitations and Prospects

“…As a result, VR diagnosis can be very effective, and similarly, VR treatment can be an effective intervention and support for improving multiple functions and skills in participants' virtual worlds [24,25]. Figures 5 and 6 illustrate that the VR tools can be used both to diagnose and treat dysfunctions and deficits of body systems/organs and to provide an environment for adaptation to daily life after treatment, as well as for prevention and support of natural aging processes [20][21][22][23][24][25].…”

“…The selected articles were analyzed for information on the virtual technology model used, proposed and applied programs/sessions and procedures, defined and/or testing/validating conditions/groups (e.g., traditional vs. virtual), number of subjects, and documented favorable and unfavorable/adverse results of being in virtual worlds. In neuroscience, neuropsychology plays a key role in brain and behavior research using VR, and methods for verifying the effects in VEs are usually classic neuropsycho-logical tools [20][21][22][23]. This leads to interesting comparisons between conventional and innovative tools, often in favor of virtual ones.…”

“…The ecological limitations of traditional neuropsychological testing and some difficulties in conducting tests or training in real-life scenarios have paved the way for the use of VR-based tools. VR tests are often based on "real-world" tasks such as behavior in the classroom, kitchen, supermarket or street [21][22][23]. Therefore, most of these tests are designed to assess executive functions (EFs) and the interactions between various cognitive and sensorimotor processes using real-life task patterns.…”

“…In neuroscience, neuropsychology plays a key role in brain and behavior research using VR, and methods for verifying the effects in VEs are usually classic neuropsychological tools [20][21][22][23]. This leads to interesting comparisons between conventional and innovative tools, often in favor of virtual ones.…”

Facial emotional congruence in healthy adults and patients suffering from a psychiatric or neurological disorder.

“…On the contrary, the videos of natural expressions have the advantage of being ecologically valid but the spatial and idiosyncratic temporal parameters often contain various artifacts, unconnected to the emotional expressions, such as blinking and ocular movements. Progress in virtual reality techniques will probably enable these limitations to be overcome (Liu et al, 2019; Msika et al, 2022, for a recent review).…”