The paper provides a review of research using virtual reality as a laboratory tool in economics. It addresses the question of whether behavior in virtual environments is a valuable source of empirical evidence for economists. A typology of virtual reality experiments based on the difference between low-immersive (LIVE) and high-immersive virtual environments (HIVE) is proposed. It is argued that virtual reality experiments are framed field experiments, which allow testing the effect of contextual cues on economic behavior under the strict control of the experimenter. This feature enhances replicability and attenuates the context-free illusion that represents an important limitation of the standard laboratory approach in economics

This paper analyses gender differences in the trust game. Our experiment implements the triadic design proposed by Cox (2004) to discriminate between transfers resulting from trust or trustworthiness and transfers resulting from altruistic preferences. We observe that women exhibit a higher degree of altruism than men for both trust and trustworthiness but relatively more for trustworthiness. This result provides an explanation to the experimental finding that women reciprocate more than men.

This paper presents the results of an interactive virtual reality (VR) training program aimed at enhancing Health and Safety (H&S) management practices in quarrying operations. The course was designed based on industry best practices, as well as both voluntary and mandatory standards relevant to marble mining activities. It combines experiential learning with a performance monitoring system that tracks completion rates, time taken, and scores based on user decisions. The primary objective was to assess the impact of VR training across different user groups, categorized by age, prior safety experience, familiarity with equipment and processes, and VR proficiency. This study involved 40 participants and analyzed 15 variables, including occupation, age, H&S skills, process knowledge, equipment familiarity, VR skills, physical impact of VR, number of attempts before completion, percentage and time of completion, achieved scores, retention of knowledge, and user feedback before and after training. Performance measurement was carried out using two methods: a Microsoft Forms questionnaire with 16 questions, completed by participants one week after training, and Simula Solution, which automatically tracked and recorded performance metrics (time, percentage, errors, and scores) during each session. The survey successfully identified which demographic groups were most affected by VR training. The findings of this study could have important implications for improving H&S practices in the mining sector by empowering workers to engage in training and interact with process resources. This allows them to experience virtual accidents in a controlled, risk-free environment.