Virtual reality exposure effect in acrophobia: psychological and physiological evidence from a single experimental session

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dc.contributor.authorVaršová, Kristínacs
dc.contributor.authorSzitás, Dagmarcs
dc.contributor.authorJanoušek, Otocs
dc.contributor.authorJurkovičová, Lenkacs
dc.contributor.authorBartošová, Kateřinacs
dc.contributor.authorJuřík, Vojtěchcs
dc.coverage.issue3cs
dc.coverage.volume28cs
dc.date.accessioned2025-02-03T14:40:07Z
dc.date.available2025-02-03T14:40:07Z
dc.date.issued2024-07-15cs
dc.description.abstractIn recent years, virtual reality (VR) has gained attention from researchers in diverse fields, particularly in therapy of phobias. Currently, virtual reality exposure therapy therapy (VRET) is considered a promising cognitive-behavioral therapy technique. However, specific psychological and physiological responses of VR users to virtual exposure in such a context are still only vaguely explored. In this experimental study, we mapped VR exposure in a height environment in people with a moderate fear of heights–acrophobia. Thirty-six participants were divided into experimental and control groups–with and without psychological guidance during exposure. Participants' subjective level of anxiety was examined, and objective physiological response was captured via heart rate variability (HRV) measurement. Psychological assessments recorded an anticipated rise in participant anxiety following exposure to height; nevertheless, no distinctions were observed in self-reported anxiety concerning psychological guidance. Notably, objective physiological measures revealed that VR exposure prompts physiological responses akin to real-world scenarios. Moreover, based on the analysis of heart rate variability, participants who received psychological guidance were identified as better at compensating for anxiety compared to those without such support. These findings support VRET as a promising tool for psychotherapy and advocate for psychological guidance as beneficial in reducing anxiety and managing stress during exposure. The results may help improve our understanding of anxiety during exposure to phobic stimuli.en
dc.formattextcs
dc.format.extent1-14cs
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfcs
dc.identifier.citationVIRTUAL REALITY. 2024, vol. 28, issue 3, p. 1-14.en
dc.identifier.doi10.1007/s10055-024-01037-5cs
dc.identifier.issn1434-9957cs
dc.identifier.orcid0000-0002-2207-8795cs
dc.identifier.other189072cs
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/11012/249904
dc.language.isoencs
dc.publisherSpringer Naturecs
dc.relation.ispartofVIRTUAL REALITYcs
dc.relation.urihttps://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10055-024-01037-5cs
dc.rightsCreative Commons Attribution 4.0 Internationalcs
dc.rights.accessopenAccesscs
dc.rights.sherpahttp://www.sherpa.ac.uk/romeo/issn/1434-9957/cs
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/cs
dc.subjectAcrophobiaen
dc.subjectCognitive/behavioral therapyen
dc.subjectHRVen
dc.subjectVRen
dc.subjectVRETen
dc.titleVirtual reality exposure effect in acrophobia: psychological and physiological evidence from a single experimental sessionen
dc.type.driverarticleen
dc.type.statusPeer-revieweden
dc.type.versionpublishedVersionen
sync.item.dbidVAV-189072en
sync.item.dbtypeVAVen
sync.item.insts2025.02.03 15:40:07en
sync.item.modts2025.02.03 13:32:12en
thesis.grantorVysoké učení technické v Brně. Fakulta stavební. Ústav automatizace inženýrských úloh a informatikycs
thesis.grantorVysoké učení technické v Brně. Fakulta elektrotechniky a komunikačních technologií. Ústav biomedicínského inženýrstvícs
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