Skip to Main Content

Experimental Psychology (Russia)
2022. Vol. 15, no. 2, 49–58
doi:10.17759/exppsy.2022150204
ISSN: 2072-7593 / 2311-7036 (online)

The Influence of the VR Environment on the Level of Anxiety

706

M.M. Marinova

PDF (RUS)
Online translation in english
GS
Information
in Google Scholar

Abstract

A technology of using virtual reality (VR) technology for psychological therapy of anxiety states is described. The technology is the relaxation computer VR-program “Ocean Rift”, which consists in the possibility of exploring the virtual underwater world and its inhabitants. Through virtual reality goggles, the observer could navigate through the sea, hear the sound of the sea, and turn and rotate their head with a 360° view. The study involved 120 subjects (74 women, 46 men) between the ages of 18 and 54 years, divided into three groups: low, moderate and high anxiety. It was shown that the relaxing effect of the virtual environment has a different effect on the severity of anxiety. For respondents with increased anxiety the method described is an effective way to relieve tension, lowering levels of situational and general anxiety and increasing positive impressions.

General Information

Keywords: virtual reality, VR, information technology, anxiety disorders, mental states, interactivity

Journal rubric: Psychology of Digital Reality

Article type: scientific article

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17759/exppsy.2022150204

Funding. The study was carried out within the framework of the state task of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation No. 073-00110-22-02 dated 04/08/2022 "The impact of high-level virtual reality technologies on mental development in adolescence".

Received: 27.02.2022

Accepted:

For citation: Marinova M.M. The Influence of the VR Environment on the Level of Anxiety. Eksperimental'naâ psihologiâ = Experimental Psychology (Russia), 2022. Vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 49–58. DOI: 10.17759/exppsy.2022150204. (In Russ., аbstr. in Engl.)

References

  1. Barabanschikov V.A., Marinova M.M. Deepfake in Face Perception Research. Eksperimental’naya psihologia = Experimental Psychology (Russia), 2021. V. 14. №1. P. 4—19. DOI:10.17759/ exppsy.2021000001. (In Russ., а in Engl.).
  2. Barabanschikov V.A., Marinova M.M., Abramov A.D. Virtual Personality of a Moving Thatcherized Face. Psikhologicheskaya nauka i obrazovanie = Psychological Science and Education, 2021. V. 26. №. 1. P. 5—18. doi:10.17759/pse.2021000001. (In Russ., аbstr. in Engl.).
  3. Marinova M.M. Vliyanie sredy virtual’noi real’nosti na uroven’ situativnoi trevozhnosti // Psikhologiya kognitivnykh protsessov. № 10. P. 65—74. (In Russ.).
  4. Meitner L., Selivanov V.V. Critical analysis of the use of virtual technologies in clinical psychology in Europe (based on the content of the journal “Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking” [Elektronnyi resurs]. Sovremennaia zarubezhnaia psikhologiia = Journal of Modern Foreign Psychology, 2021. Vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 36—43. doi:10.17759/jmfp.2021000001. (In Russ., аbstr. in Engl.).
  5. Pobokin P.A. Ivchenkova Yu.Yu., Kapustina V.Yu. Korrektsiya psikhologicheskikh zashchit i trevozhnosti studentov s pomoshch’yu treningovykh VR-programm // Psikhologo-pedagogicheskie issledovaniya. 2021. T. 13. № 4. P. 147—161. DOI 10.17759/psyedu.2021130409. (In Russ.).
  6. Selivanov V.V. Metakognitivnye protsessy vo vzaimodeistvii lichnosti i virtual’noi real’nosti // Lichnost’, intellekt, metakognitsii: issledovatel’skie podkhody i obrazovatel’nye praktiki. 2018. P. 169—177. (In Russ.).
  7. Selivanov V.V. Psikhicheskie sostoyaniya lichnosti v didakticheskoi VR-srede // Eksperimental’naya psihologia = Experimental Psychology (Russia). T. 14. № 1. P. 20—28. DOI: 10.17759/ exppsy.2021000002 (In Russ.).
  8. Selivanov V.V., Maitner L., Griber Yu.A. Osobennosti ispol’zovaniya tekhnologii virtual’noi real’nosti pri korrektsii i lechenii depressii v klinicheskoi psikhologii [Elektronnyi resurs] // Klinicheskaya i spetsial’naya psikhologiya. 2021. T. 10. № 3. P. 231—255. DOI: 10.17759/cpse.2021100312 (In Russ.).
  9. Selivanov V.V., Pobokin P.A., Babieva N.S. Vliyanie obrazovatel’nyh i treningovyh programm v virtual’noj real’nosti na lichnostnye harakteristiki ispytuemyh // Psihologiya obucheniya, 2019. №1. P.18—28. (In Russ.).
  10. Sorochinskii P.V. Virtual’naya real’nost’ kak sredstvo razvitiya pamyati // Psikhologiya kognitivnykh protsessov. 2021. № 10. P. 142—150. (In Russ.).
  11. Uaild D. Terapiya gneva, trevogi i depressii u detei i podrostkov. Kognitivno-bikhevioral’nyi podkhod / Seriya: Biblioteka zarubezhnoi psikhologii // MODEK 2018. P. 192. (In Russ.).
  12. Eshuis L.V., Gelderen M.J., Zuiden M., Nijdam M.J., Vermetten E., Olff M., Bakker A. Efficacy of immersive PTSD treatments: A systematic review of virtual and augmented reality exposure therapy and a meta-analysis of virtual reality exposure therapy // Journal of Psychiatric Research. 143. 2021. P. 516—527. DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.11.030.
  13. Fu W., Wang C., Zou L. Psychological health, sleep quality, and coping styles to stress facing the COVID-19 in Wuhan, China. Transl Psychiatry 2020. V. 10. DOI:10.1038/s41398-020-00913-3
  14. L, Gao. T, Ren. H. Post-traumatic stress disorder and psychological distress in Chinese youths following the COVID-19 emergency. Journal of Health Psychology. 2020. V. 25. № 9. P. 1164—1175. DOI:10.1177/1359105320937057
  15. Lindner P., Dagöö , Hamilton W., Miloff A, Andersson G., Schill A., Carlbring P. Virtual Reality exposure therapy for public speaking anxiety in routine care: a single-subject effectiveness trial. // Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. 2021. V. 50 № 1. P. 67—87. DOI: 10.1080/16506073.2020.1795240
  16. Morina N., Kampmann I., Emmelkamp P., Barbui C., Hoppen T. Meta-analysis of virtual reality exposure therapy for social anxiety disorder. // Psychological Medicine. P. 1—3. DOI: 10.1017/ S0033291721001690
  17. Pankratova O., Konopko E., Konopko P., Kormakova V., Savelova L. Introduction and development of innovative methods and technologies of e-learning at the university / O. Pankratova [et al.] // SLET-2020: International Scientific Conference on Innovative Approaches to the Application of Digital Technologies in Education, Stavropol, Russia, November 12—13, 2020. CEUR Workshop Proceedings. 2021. Vol. 2861. P. 261—267.
  18. Pashchenko D. Fully remote software development due to covid factor: results of industry research. International Journal of Software Science and Computational Intelligence (IJSSCI). 2021. V. 13. №3. P. 64—70. DOI: 10.4018/IJSSCI.2021070105
  19. Reeves R., Elliott A., Curran D., Dyer Kю, Hanna D. 360° Video virtual reality exposure therapy for public speaking anxiety: A randomized controlled trial // Journal of Anxiety Disorders. 2021. V. 83. P. 102451. DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2021.102451.
  20. Selivanov V.V. Cognitive Processes and Personality Traits in Virtual Reality Educational and Training / V.V. Selivanov, L.N. Selivanova, N.S. Babieva // Psychology in Russia: State of the Art. 2020. 13. № 2. P. 16—28. DOI 10.11621/pir.2020.0202.
  21. Selivanov V.V. Mental States in a high-level VR-environment // Child in the Digital World. P. 116. DOI: 10.26226/morressier.618aaeaa4a84e7b4701d81d6
  22. Sova O., Ganushchak T., Khrapkina V., Onyshchenko O. Development of remote identification the enterprises by digital technologies // In SHS Web of Conferences. V. 120. EDP Sciences.
  23. Wu W., Zhang Y., Wang P., Zhang L., Wang G., Lei G., Xiao Q., Cao X., Bian Y., Xie S., Huang F., Luo N., Zhang J., Luo M. Psychological stress of medical staffs during outbreak of COVID-19 and adjustment strategy. J Med Virol. 2020. V. 92. P. 1962—1970. DOI:10.1002/jmv.25914

Information About the Authors

Mariya M. Marinova, Assistant Director of the Institute of Experimental Psychology, Academic Services Specialist, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Postgraduate Student, Moscow Institute of Psychoanalysis, Moscow, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8862-4007, e-mail: marinovamm@yandex.ru

Metrics

Views

Total: 2285
Previous month: 89
Current month: 104

Downloads

Total: 706
Previous month: 22
Current month: 12