Same same but different? Replicating the real surroundings in a virtual trier social stress test (TSST-VR) does not enhance presence or the psychophysiological stress response

In recent years, adaptations of the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) have shown that socially evaluative stress can effectively elicit psychobiological responses in a standardized way in Virtual Reality (VR). While these methods hold many advantages, the underlying mechanisms of stress-induction effects via virtual avatars are still largely unclear. The present study tested whether the similarity of the real and virtual world modulates the stress response during a virtual TSST by intensifying the experience of presence. For this purpose, two groups performed the TSST-VR while their virtual surroundings were either a replication of the real laboratory or a foreign environment. Although a significant stress response with regard to salivary cortisol, salivary alpha amylase, heart rate and subjective feelings of stress was found in both groups, the parallelization of the real and virtual environment did not lead to an increase in physiological or subjective stress. Furthermore, both groups did not differ in self-reported presence. Beyond reproducing previous findings of successful psychobiological stress induction in VR, the results indicate that the paradigm is effective regardless of the context it is employed in and therefore could be a promising tool in multi-center research projects or clinical applications.