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Updated: Aug 23, 2025

Virtual Reality Experiments with Physiological Measures
07:09

Virtual Reality Experiments with Physiological Measures

Published on: August 29, 2018

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Assessment of Boys' Responses to Interpersonal Conflict in Virtual Reality

Tom A Hummer1,2, Zebulun M Wood3, Kevin Miller3

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.

Games for Health Journal
|October 27, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Virtual reality (VR) shows promise for assessing childhood behavior problems. This study found VR headsets usable and enjoyable for boys, with results suggesting potential for mental health treatment applications.

Area of Science:

  • Psychiatry
  • Psychology
  • Computer Science

Background:

  • Virtual reality (VR) technology advances offer potential clinical applications for mental health.
  • Childhood behavior problems are often linked to social-cognitive deficits, posing measurement and treatment challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the usability and feasibility of a VR system as a psychiatric tool for youth.
  • To assess children's responses to varying antisocial content in VR scenarios.

Main Methods:

  • 36 boys (ages 8-13) used VR headsets experiencing virtual cafeteria scenes with varying antisocial content and virtual character intentions (control, ambiguous, hostile).
  • Participants completed usability questionnaires and assessments of hostile attribution bias (HAB) after VR exposure.
  • Standard text-based HAB assessments were administered post-VR use.

Main Results:

  • Participants generally found the VR headset easy to use and enjoyable.
  • Virtual characters in hostile scenes were rated as meaner.
  • Boys with more conduct problems perceived virtual characters as meaner, irrespective of text-based HAB measures.

Conclusions:

  • Preliminary evidence supports VR's potential for assessing and treating childhood behavior problems.
  • VR systems may offer a novel approach to understanding social-cognitive deficits in youth.
  • Further development of VR programs for pediatric mental health is warranted.

Keywords:
AntisocialBehavior problemsHostile attribution biasMiddle childhoodVirtual reality

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