Validating the effects of sex differences and auditory/visual-based verbal memory on recall tasks in a virtual supermarket

Virtual reality (VR), with its superior ecological validity, offers a potential new method for assessing and training memory recall. To further validate the utilization of VR, the current study explores the effects of sex and auditory/visual-based verbal memory-both closely related to memory recall in everyday shopping behavior-on recall tasks both inside and outside of a virtual supermarket. The International Shopping List Test (ISLT) verbal recall tasks were used in the experiment. To examine whether the same effects exist in VR, a self-developed virtual supermarket was applied. The results indicate that women and those who were in the visual-based group for verbal memory performed better both inside and outside the VR. The study further compares users' spatial-based visual memory encoding with verbal memory retrieval in VR to determine whether they align with theoretical assumptions and prior studies. The findings support the view that women's superior visual memory may be compromised in the virtual supermarket due to their relatively lower self-reported sense of direction (SOD) and higher levels of wayfinding anxiety compared to men. Empirical and practical implications based on these findings are discussed in the study.