Contrasting the effectiveness and efficiency of virtual reality and real enviro...

• Author(s): Coelho, Carlos M. ; Silva, Carlos F. ; Santos, Jorge A. ; Tichon, Jennifer ; Wallis, Guy
• Date: 2008
• Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/1822/26995
• Origin: RepositóriUM - Universidade do Minho
• Subject(s): Acrophobia; Heights; Virtual reality; Fear; Treatment
• Document Type: Article
• Language: English

Description

Previous studies reported good results in using virtual reality for the treatment of acrophobia. Similarly this paper reports the use of a virtual environment for the treatment of acrophobia. In the study, 10 subjects were exposed to three sessions of simulated heights in a virtual reality (VR) system, and 5 others were exposed to a real environment. Both groups revealed significant progress in a range of anxiety, avoidance and behaviour measurements when confronted with virtual as well as real height circumstances. Despite VR participants experiencing considerably shorter treatment times than the real-world subjects, significant improvements were recorded on the Behavioural Avoidance Test, the Attitudes Toward Heights Questionnaire and the Acrophobia Questionnaire. These results are suggestive of a possible higher effectiveness and efficiency of VR in treating acrophobia.