Virtual reality: A shift of theoretical focus in the study of language processing

This chapter explores the theoretical and methodological shift introduced by Virtual Reality (VR) in the study of language processing and cognitive functions. After clarifying distinctions between VR, Augmented Reality, and Mixed Reality, the text defines VR systems by their immersive technological features—input/output devices, degrees of sensory feedback, and levels of user interactivity. Central constructs such as immersion, presence, and embodiment are dissected: immersion is framed as a property of the VR system, presence as a subjective psychological state, and embodiment as the sense of owning and controlling a virtual body. The chapter synthesizes diverse models of presence emphasizing their relevance to user experience. It then highlights VR's potential for enhancing ecological validity in psychological research. VR's ability to recreate realistic settings, natural stimuli, and contextually appropriate responses addresses the limitations of traditional experimental paradigms. Applications in neuroscience, clinical psychology, and cognitive assessment demonstrate how VR reconciles experimental control with ecological realism. Lastly, the chapter details how embodiment—comprising self-location, body ownership, and agency—enriches virtual experiences and allows for innovative manipulations of self-representation. Effects such as the Proteus Effect and body swapping are presented as windows into the malleability of self-perception. Altogether, VR emerges as a unique and powerful tool for investigating cognitive phenomena in contextually grounded, interactive, and experientially rich environments.