Data - The Role of Immersive Experience in Anxiety Reduction: Evidence from Virtual Reality Session

Description

Our objective was to explore the influence of two distinct VR technologies: traditional, commonly used (googles with controllers) vs modern (googles attached to a multi-joint arm without the use of controllers) on respondents' severity of anxiety and to ascertain the role of VR immersion in this connection. Additionally, we factored in age, gender, and wheelchair condition as controlled variables. To our knowledge it is the first study that compares modern VR solutions with traditional VR technologies in their potential to deepen the virtual reality experience (induce immersion in the user). Moreover, there is as well no study to this data that would evaluate the potential of newly-designed VR solutions in diminishing negative mental states. This study tries to fill the gap in existing research on this topic, therefore constituting an important factor in the development of further potential opportunities for the development and application of modern VR solutions. The study recruited participants via email invitations to schools, universities, and cultural centers in the Tricity area, as well as through paper notices in various locations. Interested individuals contacted Chronospace company to schedule participation. Participants were randomly assigned to experimental or control groups and selected whether to use a wheelchair. Before the study, participants completed an online anxiety questionnaires: STAI-C1 (version for children and adolescents up to 15 years old) or STAI-X1 (version for those aged 16 and older). In the experimental condition, participants navigated virtual reality (VR) using a multi-joint arm system, while the control group used controllers. Both groups spent 5 minutes in VR, after which they completed the state anxiety questionnaire and additional immersion questionnaires. The procedure was consistent for participants in wheelchairs and took place at indoor locations. Overall, our results showed that those people who participated in VR session with the new (tested) device manifested greater immersion and lower severity of anxiety in post-test (no group differences were observed in case of initial anxiety symptoms). Moreover, the severity of anxiety symptoms measured after VR experience was significantly associated with initial (pre-existing) anxiety symptoms, age and immersion. We found that such a negative mental state after VR experience was more perceived by participants in the group with standard VR equipment. Interestingly, sex was not predictive for the severity of anxiety symptoms measured after VR experience. Furthermore, we observed partial mediating effect with group as predictor variable, post-VR severity of anxiety as criterion variable and immersion as a mediator (controlling for sex, age, initial anxiety and wheelchair).

Steps to reproduce

Participants were recruited through email invitations to schools, universities, and cultural centers and through paper notices placed in schools, universities, churches, and cultural centers in Poland. Those interested in participating in the study contacted Chronospace company and scheduled a specific day (Monday-Sunday) and time (between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM). The research was conducted under two conditions: experimental and control. Upon arriving at the research location, participants filled out consent forms. In the case of minors, parents signed the consent forms, or non-minors provided consent forms from their parents. Subsequently, participants were randomly assigned to either the experimental or control group, which tested VR goggles. Participants also randomly selected whether they would perform the study in a wheelchair or not. Physiological measurements took place on selected weekdays, specifically on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Prior to the study, all participants filled out an online anxiety questionnaire, STAI-C1 (version for children and adolescents up to 15 years old) or STAI-X1 (version for those aged 16 and older). Then, they proceeded to the experimental or control condition. In both cases, participants navigated in a virtual space (VR) using goggles. The experimental group moved with goggles attached to a multi-joint arm mounted on an aluminum frame. The experimental group was assessed in a test environment using specially developed algorithms for navigating in the virtual space without the use of controllers. Participants moved naturally within the real-world space up to the designated boundary, and the multi-joint arm mounted on the aluminum frame tracked their position. Once reaching the boundary, movement in the virtual space was controlled through head movements, changes in body rotation, and tilts. Upon returning to the study area, the participant's movements were again detected from their real-world position. On the other hand, the control group was assessed in a test environment without the use of algorithms, where movement was accomplished using controllers. Participants stood or sat still, and navigation within the virtual space was done using a joystick located on the controller. The entire VR study, both in the control and experimental groups, lasted 5 minutes (in a few exceptional cases, the study in the control condition was shorter due to participants experiencing dizziness). Subsequently, participants filled out the relevant anxiety questionnaire again: STAI-C1 or STAI-X1, as well as the Immersion Questionnaire. The procedure was the same for participants in wheelchairs.

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