360° immersive photos and videos, an ecological approach to memory assessment: the ObReco-2

In recent years, the efficacy of psychometric tests in evaluating life-like abilities has become one of the central topics in the neuropsychological assessment field. Considering that many of the classic available tools show low to moderate levels of ecological validity, researchers emphasize the need to collect data that are more similar to what is observed in realistic settings. Virtual reality emerges as a promising instrument to provide life-like experiences in a controlled and safe way that might enhance the ecological assessment compared to standard paper-and-pencil tests. Particularly, an innovative trend in virtual reality technologies are 360° spherical photos and videos which allow for keeping high levels of graphical realism and immersivity. These features appear to be crucial elements to solve the issue of validity. In this scenario, we present a protocol exploiting a 360° technology for the neuropsychological assessment of memory. Retracing the structure of the Rivermead Behavior Memory Test, the ecological device ObReco-2 recreates a daily environment. During the task, patients will be immersed in a house and asked to memorize some objects that need to be moved for a relocation.