Sense of presence and anxiety during virtual social interactions between a human and virtual humans

Abstract

Virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) has been shown to be effective in treatment of anxiety disorders. Yet, there is lack of research on the extent to which interaction between the individual and virtual humans can be successfully implanted to increase levels of anxiety for therapeutic purposes. This proof-of-concept pilot study aimed at examining levels of the sense of presence and anxiety during exposure to virtual environments involving social interaction with virtual humans and using different virtual reality displays. A non-clinical sample of 38 participants was randomly assigned to either a head-mounted display (HMD) with motion tracker and sterescopic view condition or a one-screen projection-based virtual reality display condition. Participants in both conditions engaged in free speech dialogues with virtual humans controlled by research assistants. It was hypothesized that exposure to virtual social interactions will elicit moderate levels of sense of presence and anxiety in both groups. Further it was expected that participants in the HMD condition will report higher scores of sense of presence and anxiety than participants in the one-screen projection-based display condition. Results revealed that in both conditions virtual social interactions were associated with moderate levels of sense of presence and anxiety. Additionally, participants in the HMD condition reported significantly higher levels of presence than those in the one-screen projection-based display condition (p = .001). However, contrary to the expectations neither the average level of anxiety nor the highest level of anxiety during exposure to social virtual environments differed between the groups (p = .97 and p = .75, respectively). The findings suggest that virtual social interactions can be successfully applied in VRET to enhance sense of presence and anxiety. Furthermore, our results indicate that one-screen projection-based displays can successfully activate levels of anxiety in social virtual environments. The outcome can prove helpful in using low-cost projection-based virtual reality environments for treating individuals with social phobia.

A virtual reality approach to the Trier Social Stress Test: Contrasting two distinct protocols

“…Morina, Brinkman, Hartanto, and Emmelkamp (2014) examined levels of anxiety and sense of presence during exposure to two types of virtual environments: a head-mounted display (HMD) with motion tracker and stereoscopic view, and a one-screen projection-based VR display. Their results suggest that both VR displays were equally effective in evoking moderate levels of anxiety, although the HDM display appeared to produce a stronger sense of presence.…”

A Treatment Program for Social Anxiety Disorder by Using Virtual Reality

“…Based on investigations into the use of VR technology applied to the context of clinical interventions (Barbosa, 2013;Kampmann et al 2016;Morina et al, 2014;Wallach et al, 2011;Wiederhold et al, 2002), our study had the following objectives: (a) to assess the effects of a behavior-analytic intervention program using VR to treat individuals with social anxiety disorder; (b) to assess a VR simulator designed for so-cial anxiety disorder regarding its ability to generate sense of presence and anxiety responses through biofeedback measurement of galvanic skin response and also through Subjective Units of Distress Scale -SUDS (Wolpe, 1973(Wolpe, /1978.…”

Musicians’ perceptions and experiences of using simulation training to develop performance skills

“…Authentic simulations depend on realistic auditory and visual cues to achieve a feeling of immersion (Morina et al, 2014;Murray et al, 2007). The main points mentioned by the musicians in this study centred on the spotlights that were directed at them immediately upon their entrance on to stage:…”

“…Second, this study set out to understand the characteristics of the musical simulation reported to facilitate (or not) immersive experience; in other words, to what extent is simulation training experienced as a tool for improving specific performance skills and tackling performance-related anxiety problems? Thus far, simulation training has been applied in a wide range of domains to either enhance specific performance skills (Clayton et al, 2013;Kassab et al, 2011) or to reduce symptoms associated with (performance) anxiety (Bissonette et al, 2011;Morina, Brinkman, Hartanto, & Emmelkamp, 2014). Considering research executed in the musical domain, however, simulation training has only been validated alongside anxiety reducing protocols (Bissonette et al, 2011) rather than performance enhancement strategies.…”