Virtual Reality in Decision-Making Training: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

In recent years, the influence of virtual reality (VR) on decision-making training has garnered significant attention across various studies. Despite this growing interest, there remains a noticeable gap in the form of a comprehensive systematic review that could highlight research trends and elucidate the mechanisms through which VR impacts decision-making. To address this gap, we conducted an extensive systematic literature review coupled with a meta-analysis. Our objective was to achieve a deeper understanding of how VR affects decision-making training and to evaluate its effectiveness. Our review process involved a thorough examination of 39 scholarly articles, out of which 10 were selected for a detailed meta-analysis. This approach allowed us to identify prevailing trends in the use of VR within the context of decision-making training. We also examined the key technical features of VR that are most influential in this area. Simultaneously, we assessed various study designs. Meta-analysis indicating a small to moderate positive effect of VR on decision-making training (g = 0.317). The insights gained from our research make a substantial contribution to the existing literature by not only mapping out the current state of VR research in decision-making training but also by identifying effective technical and design features.

Keywords:

• Virtual reality
• decision-making
• systematic literature review
• meta-analysis

Geolocation information

Xuzhou, Jiangsu province, China.

Disclosure statement

The authors report there are no competing interests to declare.

Data availability statement

Data will be available on request.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant number 62077030 and the Jiangsu Province Educational Science Planning Project under Grant number B/2022/01/142.

Notes on contributors

Xinyu Bi

Xinyu Bi is a master’s student in the School of Smart Education, Jiangsu Normal University. Research interests: Intelligent Learning Environment, Virtual Reality ([email protected]).

Yongbin Hu

Yongbin Hu (Corresponding author) holds a PhD and is a master’s supervisor and associate professor in the School of Smart Education, Jiangsu Normal University. Research interests: Intelligent Learning Environment, Virtual Reality ([email protected],13776785107).

Xianmin Yang

Xianmin Yang holds a PhD and is a doctor’s supervisor and professor in the School of Smart Education, Jiangsu Normal University. Research interests: Smart Education, Educational Big Data ([email protected]).

Jinying Zhang

Jinying Zhang is a master’s student in the School of Smart Education, Jiangsu Normal University. Research interests: Intelligent Learning Environment, Virtual Reality ([email protected]).

Xiaoyi Li

Xiaoyi Li is a master’s student in the School of Smart Education, Jiangsu Normal University. Research interests: Intelligent Learning Environment, Virtual Reality ([email protected]).

Pengrui Tao

Pengrui Tao is a master’s student in the School of Smart Education, Jiangsu Normal University. Research interests: Intelligent Learning Environment, Virtual Reality ([email protected]).

Meitan Chen

Meitan Chen is a master’s student in the School of Smart Education, Jiangsu Normal University. Research interests: Intelligent Learning Environment, Virtual Reality ([email protected]).