Height Simulation in a Virtual Reality CAVE System: Validity of Fear Responses and Effects of an Immersion Manipulation

Frontiers in Human Neuroscience

卷:12

Paul Pauli¹  Markus Nehfischer²  Michael Jost²  Daniel Gromer²  Mathias Müller²  Octávia Madeira²  Philipp Gast²  Andreas Mühlberger³ 

[1] Center of Mental Health, Medical Faculty, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany;

[2] Department of Psychology, Biological Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany;

[3] Department of Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany;

关键词: anxiety;    fear behavior;    virtual reality;    presence;    immersion;    acrophobia;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fnhum.2018.00372

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Acrophobia is characterized by intense fear in height situations. Virtual reality (VR) can be used to trigger such phobic fear, and VR exposure therapy (VRET) has proven effective for treatment of phobias, although it remains important to further elucidate factors that modulate and mediate the fear responses triggered in VR. The present study assessed verbal and behavioral fear responses triggered by a height simulation in a 5-sided cave automatic virtual environment (CAVE) with visual and acoustic simulation and further investigated how fear responses are modulated by immersion, i.e., an additional wind simulation, and presence, i.e., the feeling to be present in the VE. Results revealed a high validity for the CAVE and VE in provoking height related self-reported fear and avoidance behavior in accordance with a trait measure of acrophobic fear. Increasing immersion significantly increased fear responses in high height anxious (HHA) participants, but did not affect presence. Nevertheless, presence was found to be an important predictor of fear responses. We conclude that a CAVE system can be used to elicit valid fear responses, which might be further enhanced by immersion manipulations independent from presence. These results may help to improve VRET efficacy and its transfer to real situations.

【 授权许可】

Unknown