Computer-Based Experiments in VR: A Virtual Reality Environment to Conduct Experiments, Collect Participants’ Data and Cognitive Modeling in VR

This paper explores the integration of Virtual Reality (VR) into behavioral experiments, addressing the technical challenges that researchers face due to the necessity of advanced programming and game engine knowledge. By developing a VR environment tailored for conducting computer-based experiments and pairing it with VR Analysis Tool (VRAT) for data analysis and visualization, we facilitate a more accessible entry into VR-based research. The advantage that our tool provides is that researchers can conduct their traditional computer-based experiments in an environment with superior eye tracking and high experiment validity due to a high level of control over environmental factors. We then showcase the advantages of VR eye-tracking systems over traditional screen-based counterparts in terms of accuracy and precision, highlighting their consistency across various screen sizes and user demographics which is only one of the many superiorities of VR over the conventional methods. Due to the applicability of the 3D design, we believe that the future of behavioral research will increasingly pivot toward VR, with tools like VisiTor pioneering this transition by enabling models to effectively interact within VR spaces. Our tool is a step toward enabling behavioral studies to immigrate from traditional methods to VR.