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Human Fear Conditioning Conducted in Full Immersion 3-Dimensional Virtual Reality
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Clinical observations during virtual reality therapy for specific phobias.

B K Wiederhold1, M D Wiederhold

  • 1Center for Advanced Multimedia Psychotherapy, California School of Professional Psychology, Research andService Foundation, San Diego, CA 92121, USA. Bwiederhold@cspp.edu

Cyberpsychology & Behavior : the Impact of the Internet, Multimedia and Virtual Reality on Behavior and Society
|January 31, 2009
PubMed
Summary

Virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) offers a novel approach to treating specific phobias like fear of flying or driving. This method uses immersive virtual environments for systematic desensitization, building on established exposure therapy principles.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Computer Science
  • Medicine

Background:

  • Exposure therapy, established over 40 years ago, systematically desensitizes patients to phobic stimuli.
  • Virtual environments provide novel three-dimensional computer simulations as therapeutic stimuli.
  • Virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) is an emerging method for treating specific phobias.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To discuss clinical observations from virtual reality exposure therapy sessions.
  • To evaluate the efficacy of VRET for specific phobias, particularly fear of flying and driving.

Main Methods:

  • Conducting nearly 500 virtual reality exposure therapy sessions.
  • Utilizing three-dimensional computer simulations within virtual environments.
  • Systematic desensitization to phobic stimuli until habituation occurs.

Main Results:

  • Gathered extensive clinical observations from VRET sessions.
  • Observed patient and research participant responses to virtual stimuli for fear of flying and driving.

Conclusions:

  • Virtual environments represent a promising new modality for exposure therapy.
  • VRET shows potential in treating specific phobias like fear of flying and driving.
  • Further research into VRET clinical applications is warranted.