Repository for 'Attention networks and their interactions: From the lab to mobile virtual reality'

This repository includes the behavioral data of [publication placeholder].

Abstract:
Attention is a fundamental aspect of cognition. Based on computerised behavioural tasks and neural measurements, previous research identified and examined the alerting, orienting, and executive “attention networks”. Advancements of virtual reality (VR) headsets offer new means to assess attentional networks and prior results obtained with an adapted version of the computerised Attention Network Test-Revised (ANT-R; Fan et al, 2009) implemented in VR (ANT-VR; Tekampe et al., 2023) confirmed their overall comparability. The current study utilised the high degree of experimental flexibility and control provided by VR headsets to investigate the effects of ecologically more valid stimuli and response feedback. In one experimental session,
participants performed both the computerised ANT-R and the VR-adapted ANT-VR test. Overall, longer reaction times were observed for the VR test. Nevertheless, our results confirmed the similarity between tests of the observed network scores, and their interaction and integration effects. Some differences were observed as well. VR test delivery led to increased arousal, reduced disengaging costs as well as stronger and faster orienting. A validity effect was only observed for the ANT-R while previously reported location conflict was not observed for both variants. Participants reported good overall utilisation of the VR headset. These findings confirm that the ANT-VR offers a valid flexible and mobile test environment for controlled attention assessment
and research outside the traditional laboratory or clinical settings.