Virtual Reality Intervention for Fear of Heights
Purpose
Exposure-based cognitive behavior therapy is an efficacious treatment for acrophobia (fear of heights) and has been delivered effectively in a virtual reality (VR) environment. The present study is designed to evaluate the effects of liked, non-lyrical background music on the efficacy of a brief VR exposure intervention.
Condition
- Acrophobia
Eligibility
- Eligible Ages
- Over 18 Years
- Eligible Genders
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria
- Self-report of 18 years of age or older - Current student at Boston University - Ability to read English to provide informed consent - Familiarity with a computer keyboard and mouse or a touch screen device (e.g. phone, tablet) - For Phase 2: Acrophobia score of ≥ 45.45 on the Acrophobia Questionnaire (AQ) Anxiety Subscale
Exclusion Criteria
- Previous participation (i.e. no participant may take the survey more than once).
Study Design
- Phase
- N/A
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Parallel Assignment
- Primary Purpose
- Treatment
- Masking
- None (Open Label)
Arm Groups
| Arm | Description | Assigned Intervention |
|---|---|---|
|
Experimental Exposure Intervention with Non-Lyrical, Liked Background Music |
Participants will be presented with a list of instrumental songs without lyrics from popular movies. Participants will then rank the songs in order of those they would like to hear the most. During VR heights exposure the participants' highest-ranked songs will be played in the background at a low volume. |
|
|
Experimental Exposure Intervention without Background Music |
Participants will undergo VR heights exposure without background music. |
|
Recruiting Locations
Boston, Massachusetts 02215
More Details
- Status
- Recruiting
- Sponsor
- Boston University Charles River Campus
Detailed Description
The goal of this clinical trial is to compare acrophobia (fear of heights) outcomes for VR exposure therapy in college students with elevated acrophobia when listening to music during exposure versus no music. The overarching aim of the current study is to determine how liked, non-lyrical background music will influence acrophobia outcomes after a brief exposure therapy session in VR. The study involves three phases: (1) initial screening, (2) in-person assessment and a brief exposure intervention for a subset of participants with elevated acrophobia, and (3) a one-week follow-up assessment conducted online. Students who choose to participate and screen high on an acrophobia scale will be assigned to an experimental or control condition prior to undergoing VR based exposure therapy. Acrophobia outcomes are measured immediately post-intervention and one week later. Researchers will compare participants in the music condition to participants in the non-music condition to see if acrophobia outcomes differ.