Objective: The aim of this study is to analyze the impact of an immersive virtual reality (VR) experience on adolescents’ risk perception during a simulated driving task under extreme rainfall conditions, assessed through behavioral measures and neuroimaging records. Theoretical Framework: The research is based on contributions from neuroeducation and risk psychology, which highlight the role of immersive experiences in emotional activation and behavioral change. Method: A quasi-experimental design was conducted with 78 high school students (47 females, 31 males; mean age = 18.7 years; SD = 1.52). The experience was implemented using Quest 3 VR headsets, while a subsample of 10 participants used the Emotiv EPOC+14 system to record brain activity at three critical moments: flood onset, peak danger, and rescue. Questionnaires and focus groups were applied. Results and Discussion: Findings show a significant increase in risk perception after the immersive experience, with gender differences in willingness to modify behaviors (p=0.004) and in reflection on safe decision-making (p=0.042). Neuroimaging data revealed predominant right-hemisphere activation in females and left-hemisphere activation in males, with a “freezing” pattern in males during peak danger. Implications of the Research: These results suggest that VR can be an effective tool for road safety education, provided that gender-based neurobiological differences are considered. Originality/Value: This study provides innovative evidence by integrating neuroimaging and immersive VR experiences in road safety, proposing personalized educational interventions based on neural processing patterns.
López et al. (Thu,) studied this question.