Using Virtual Environments to Understand Behavior

This Research Topic aims to highlight the latest technologies and systems, experimental techniques and methods, involving virtual environments to investigate fundamental questions in behavioral neuroscience research. Review articles or opinions on systems, methodologies or applications of virtual environments, including the advantages and limitations of each are welcome. This Topic includes technologies and up-to-date methods which will help increasing the neuroscientific investigations about the impact of Virtual Reality (VR) on human brain.

The contributions to this collection will undergo peer-review. Novelty may vary, but the utility of a virtual reality method or protocol must be evident. We welcome contributions covering all aspects of virtual environments and behavior. Submissions will be handled by the team of Topic Editors.

In this Research Topic we welcome contributions focusing on (but not limited to) the following sub-topics:

- behavioral experiments featuring virtual reality;
- innovative theories, systems and frameworks of virtual reality;
- usage of behavioral indexes collected within virtual reality (e.g., trajectories of exploration in the virtual space);
- studies on neuro-psychological phenomena typical of virtual reality (e.g., sense of presence, cybersickness);
- innovative theories on VR usage and experience;
- VR ergonomics, neuroergonomics, human factors, user experience;
- innovative ideas on how to use VR to analyze human behavior;
- shared virtual reality, the metaverse and opportunities for behavioral research;
- studies and theoretical contributions on components of virtual reality and virtual worlds (e.g., avatars, Embodied Conversational Agents):
- studies on integration of psychophysiology with virtual reality (e.g., biofeedback, affective computing).


Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience supports the FAIR (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reusability) principles for scientific data management and stewardship (Wilkinson et al., Sci. Data 3:160018, 2016).

For more information on the description and formats of the different article types please see ‘Article Types’ here