The Effects of Immersive Virtual Reality on Discourse Production in Younger and Older Adults.
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| Title: | The Effects of Immersive Virtual Reality on Discourse Production in Younger and Older Adults. |
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| Authors: | Yoon, Si On1, Park, Hyejin2, Paek, Eun Jin3, Kim, Hana4, Thao, Sunjung Kim5, Kim, Sojung6, Jung, Hee-Tae7 heetjung@iu.edu |
| Source: | American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology. 2026 Supplement, Vol. 35 Issue 5S, p2730-2741. 12p. |
| Subject Terms: | *Speech evaluation, *Adults, Task performance, Grammar, Research funding, Virtual reality, Old age |
| Abstract: | Purpose: Discourse production tasks are widely used to assess language across clinical and research contexts. Virtual reality (VR) offers an alternative discourse elicitation modality by providing immersive 3-D environments that may influence language production differently from traditional picture-based tasks. This study examined whether immersive VR affects discourse production compared with traditional picture description tasks as well as how younger and older adults perceive the usability and acceptability of and relative preference for each modality. Method: Forty-five younger and 33 older neurotypical adults described two widely studied images (Cookie Theft and Cat Rescue), presented either as colored 2-D images or as immersive 3-D VR environments. Participants completed both modalities in a counterbalanced order and completed a post-task VR usability survey. Discourse samples were analyzed for total utterances, total words, mean length of utterance (MLU), proportion of open- and closed-class words, moving-average type–token ratio (MATTR), and embedded clauses. Results: Significant main effects of group and modality emerged for total utterances and total words, such that older adults produced more language overall and participants produced more language in VR than in the 2-D condition. A significant interaction between group and modality emerged for MLU, such that modality effects were observed only in older adults. Older adults also produced relatively more open-class and fewer closed-class words in VR, whereas younger adults showed no modality effects. Embedded clause production and MATTR did not vary by group or modality. Survey responses indicated positive engagement in both groups, although older adults reported greater difficulty with VR. Conclusions: VR increases language production across age groups but differentially affects aspects of language production in older adults. These findings highlight both the potential and the practical constraints of using immersive VR for language assessment and discourse elicitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology is the property of American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Education Research Complete |
| FullText | Links: – Type: pdflink Text: Availability: 0 |
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| Header | DbId: ehh DbLabel: Education Research Complete An: 197970017 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: The Effects of Immersive Virtual Reality on Discourse Production in Younger and Older Adults. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Yoon%2C+Si+On%22">Yoon, Si On</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Park%2C+Hyejin%22">Park, Hyejin</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Paek%2C+Eun+Jin%22">Paek, Eun Jin</searchLink><relatesTo>3</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Kim%2C+Hana%22">Kim, Hana</searchLink><relatesTo>4</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Thao%2C+Sunjung+Kim%22">Thao, Sunjung Kim</searchLink><relatesTo>5</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Kim%2C+Sojung%22">Kim, Sojung</searchLink><relatesTo>6</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jung%2C+Hee-Tae%22">Jung, Hee-Tae</searchLink><relatesTo>7</relatesTo><i> heetjung@iu.edu</i> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22American+Journal+of+Speech-Language+Pathology%22">American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology</searchLink>. 2026 Supplement, Vol. 35 Issue 5S, p2730-2741. 12p. – Name: Subject Label: Subject Terms Group: Su Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Speech+evaluation%22">Speech evaluation</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Adults%22">Adults</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Task+performance%22">Task performance</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grammar%22">Grammar</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Research+funding%22">Research funding</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Virtual+reality%22">Virtual reality</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Old+age%22">Old age</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: Purpose: Discourse production tasks are widely used to assess language across clinical and research contexts. Virtual reality (VR) offers an alternative discourse elicitation modality by providing immersive 3-D environments that may influence language production differently from traditional picture-based tasks. This study examined whether immersive VR affects discourse production compared with traditional picture description tasks as well as how younger and older adults perceive the usability and acceptability of and relative preference for each modality. Method: Forty-five younger and 33 older neurotypical adults described two widely studied images (Cookie Theft and Cat Rescue), presented either as colored 2-D images or as immersive 3-D VR environments. Participants completed both modalities in a counterbalanced order and completed a post-task VR usability survey. Discourse samples were analyzed for total utterances, total words, mean length of utterance (MLU), proportion of open- and closed-class words, moving-average type–token ratio (MATTR), and embedded clauses. Results: Significant main effects of group and modality emerged for total utterances and total words, such that older adults produced more language overall and participants produced more language in VR than in the 2-D condition. A significant interaction between group and modality emerged for MLU, such that modality effects were observed only in older adults. Older adults also produced relatively more open-class and fewer closed-class words in VR, whereas younger adults showed no modality effects. Embedded clause production and MATTR did not vary by group or modality. Survey responses indicated positive engagement in both groups, although older adults reported greater difficulty with VR. Conclusions: VR increases language production across age groups but differentially affects aspects of language production in older adults. These findings highlight both the potential and the practical constraints of using immersive VR for language assessment and discourse elicitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology is the property of American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
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| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1044/2026_AJSLP-25-00414 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 12 StartPage: 2730 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Speech evaluation Type: general – SubjectFull: Adults Type: general – SubjectFull: Task performance Type: general – SubjectFull: Grammar Type: general – SubjectFull: Research funding Type: general – SubjectFull: Virtual reality Type: general – SubjectFull: Old age Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: The Effects of Immersive Virtual Reality on Discourse Production in Younger and Older Adults. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Yoon, Si On – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Park, Hyejin – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Paek, Eun Jin – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Kim, Hana – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Thao, Sunjung Kim – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Kim, Sojung – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Jung, Hee-Tae IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 10 Text: 2026 Supplement Type: published Y: 2026 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 10580360 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 35 – Type: issue Value: 5S Titles: – TitleFull: American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology Type: main |
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