Assessing the emotional state of job applicants through a virtual reality simulation: A psycho-physiological study

Job interview is one of the most frequently used methods to assess candidates for employment and it often evokes feelings of anxiety and distress. The principal aim of this study is to use a VR simulation experience to assess the emotional state, and specifically anxiety, of job applicants. Two VR job simulations are proposed to twenty-five participants, before and after a five weeks training aimed to enhance their emotional skills. Results show differences in anxiety experienced by participants exposed to VR-simulated job interviews before and after the trainings and suggest adequacy of VR as an assessment tool sensitive to the changes in internal states of candidates.