Issues and Trends in Learning Technologies (Jan 2025)

The Social Validity of Video Modeling Versus Virtual Reality for Improving the Social Communication Skills of Middle School Students

  • Adam C Carreon,
  • Amber L Rowland,
  • Angie Williams,
  • Ankita Bhattashali,
  • Bruce B Frey,
  • Haidee Jackson,
  • Lindsay Ruhter,
  • Maggie A Mosher,
  • Samantha Goldman,
  • Sean J Smith

DOI
https://doi.org/10.2458/itlt.5830
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 2

Abstract

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The extent to which an intervention is perceived as sociallyvalid significantly influences whether the intervention is selected,implemented, and maintained (Kern & Manz, 2004). Social-Emotional-Behavioral(SEB) interventions and evidence-based practices (EBPs) are often ranked with low socialvalidity by adolescents (McCoy et al., 2016). Interventionsdelivered through virtual reality (VR) report increased social validity withthis population due to life-like features improving motivation and engagement (Hew & Cheung, 2010; Mikropoulos& Natsis, 2011). Despite evidence on thepositive feelings, there is limited research on the effectiveness of VR-delivered instruction for building SEB competence in students. This study utilized a randomized control trial (RCT) toinvestigate the social validity ratings (i.e., acceptability, appropriateness,and feasibility) of middle school students using a VR-based social skillintervention, Virtual reality Opportunities to Integrate Social Skills (VOISS),compared to an evidence-based intervention, the Program for the Education andEnrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS). Participants within ten classrooms infour states were randomly assigned to VOISS (N=60) and PEERS (N=60). In bothconditions, participants experienced an estimated 300 minutes of theintervention spread out over two to four months. All participants were given anadapted Children’s Intervention Rating Profile (CIRP), the InterventionAppropriateness Measure (IAM) and the Feasibility of Intervention Measure (FIM)to determine their ratings of each intervention’s acceptability, feasibility,and appropriateness. Resultsindicate that a VR intervention (VOISS) has the potential to provide aneffective and socially valid means of delivering social communicationinstruction to middle school students. 

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