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Updated: Jun 29, 2026
Human Fear Conditioning Conducted in Full Immersion 3-Dimensional Virtual Reality
Published on: August 9, 2010
Trauma film paradigm in college students: Validation of a virtual methodology
Patricia D Russell1, Alexis Blessing1, Rebecca Weston2
1Rocky Mountain Mental Illness, Research, Education, and Clinical Center for Suicide Prevention, Rocky Mountain Regional Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
Objective:
The trauma film paradigm (TFP) is a widely used analog assessment for studying reactivity to trauma exposure. Psychometrically established in the laboratory, the TFP has not been validated in a virtual format, which could broaden the application of this methodology.
Method:
In a fully controlled, randomized experimental design, the virtual TFP was compared to the in-lab TFP, as well as virtual and in-lab neutral film paradigms among female undergraduate students (N = 92, n = 23 per condition). It was hypothesized that the virtual and in-lab TFPs would be comparable, and both would elicit more negative emotion and greater intrusion frequency, than the virtual and in-lab neutral film paradigms.
Results:
Using a 4 × 6 mixed between- and within-subject analysis of variance, a significant interaction was found between condition and time on emotion changes. Both the virtual and in-lab TFP elicited more negative emotion than the virtual and in-lab neutral film paradigms across all time points. A negative binomial regression showed significantly greater postfilm involuntary memory intrusions in the TFP conditions, and virtual and in-person conditions did not differ.
Conclusions:
Findings supported the utility of the virtual TFP methodology as an experimental method, which should extend the reach and accessibility of this paradigm. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
