Virtual Reality-Based Assessment of Social Skills and Its Application to Mental illnesses

Abstract

Appropriate usage of social skills by individual members ensures the survival ofcommunities in the human society. Social skills include the cognitive abilities as well asverbal and nonverbal behaviors indispensable for interpersonal interactions. Abnormalsocial skills have been reported in patients with mental illnesses including schizophreniaand bipolar disorder. Various methods, including self-report, interviews, behavioralobservation, and clinical rating scales, have been used for the assessment of social skills, buttheir usefulness has been undermined by subjective or observational biases. Given that avirtual reality system could provide viable environments for individuals to interact withsocial avatars, it may be one of the most promising tools for assessing social skills that canminimize concerns of assessment related biases.