Date of Defense

6-24-2026

Date of Graduation

6-27-2026

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Heather McGee

Second Advisor

Trey Ximenez

Third Advisor

Karlie Hinkle

Keywords

Simulation, workplace training, virtual reality, transferability

Abstract

Beyond the classroom, training simulations can be used in the workplace and have been used in a variety of industries, but most focus on the acceptance and perceived results rather than realworld transferability. To determine the state of simulations in workplace training, five articles met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed by participants, industry, results, perceived effectiveness and transferability of skills, data type collected, and participant feedback. The included studies demonstrated the variety of ways simulations have been integrated into training, primarily through hospital and emergency response teams, clinics, and transportation settings. Virtual reality was the most frequently used out simulation type and was commonly paired with additional training measures such as informational sessions and, in one study, a haptic master controller. Studies were identified following PRISMA 2020 guidelines through multiple database searches using different keyword combinations, followed by a secondary search of other relevant systematic reviews. There were four major cycles, and in total, 75 articles were screened, 33 were retrieved and reviewed, and from that review the five articles included were identified. Results showed that knowledge and trained skills increased along with confidence, engagement, performance, and other related outcomes. However, four out of the five articles relied on survey and interview data with some emphasis on test scores and performance observations, leaving the findings more open to interpretation than studies using observable behavioral measures. Limitations of the review included a lack of data recorded in initial screening and a lack of workplace-based simulation training articles in the last five years. With the lack of recent articles, this could suggest a decline in simulation-based training due to oversaturation and simulation training becoming standard. Further research should focus on behavior-based interventions and objective outcomes instead of relying primarily on participant-perceived data such as surveys and interviews.

Access Setting

Honors Thesis-Open Access

Additional Files
Gaban Thesis Presentation.pdf (1915 kB)
Presentation
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