Virtual Reality-based Balloon Analogue Risk Task (VR-BART)

Overview

The VR-BART Experimental Tool is a Virtual Reality-based Balloon Analogue Risk Task (VR-BART) designed to study risk-taking behavior in immersive environments. Built using Unreal Engine 5 (UE5), this tool provides researchers with a robust, customizable platform to analyze decision-making under risk.

Originally introduced by psychologists (Lejuez et al., 2002), the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART) has become a widely-used experimental paradigm in psychology and behavioral economics. This VR-based implementation enhances the traditional task by immersing participants in a virtual simulation, improving ecological validity, and enabling new layers of data collection.

---

Use Cases

This tool is designed for:

• Psychologists studying risk-taking behaviors and decision-making processes.
• Behavioral Economists analyzing risk preferences in controlled environments.
• Researchers exploring VR as a medium for behavioral experiments.
• Educators teaching experimental psychology and behavioral economics in classrooms.

---

How It Works

1. Participant's Task:

   • Inflate a virtual balloon by pressing a button.
   • Each inflation increases potential rewards but also increases the risk of explosion.
   • Participants decide how many times to inflate before stopping or risking the balloon bursting.

2. Experimenter Setup:

   • Configure parameters such as explosion probabilities, payoff functions, and observer presence.
   • Monitor participant performance and collect data for analysis.

3. Data Collection:

   • Records:
     • Number of inflations per trial.
     • Total earnings/losses.
     • Behavioral metrics indicating risk-taking tendencies.

---

Figures

Figure 1: Traditional computerized BART experiment.

Figure 2: VR-BART overview in UE5 “Play In Editor” mode.

Figure 3: VR-BART overview in UE5 “Editor” mode.

Figure 4: VR-BART UE5 level Blueprint overview.

Figure 5: Outcome text printed on screen in trials.