Feeling dizziness and emotional stress when looking down from a high altitude is very common. Various types of therapy exist, normally involving repeated exposure to being at high altitude. A new Japanese study suggests VR (virtual reality) flights to be an effective alternative approach. Behind the study is a research group at the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT).
Initially, the participants were required to take a virtual high-altitude walk on a plank, establishing a baseline for the level of their fear of heights. Their physical symptoms were measured, and they would self-report their level of fear.
Next, the participants were introduced to the VR equipment, allowing them to “fly” freely for 7 minutes at altitudes below 5 meters using a controller. After the VR experience, a second plank test was conducted. Here both physical and subjective symptoms were greatly reduced relative to the initial test.
Inducing a sense of safety
Traditionally, fear extinction has been understood to occur through repeated exposure to fear-inducing situations, allowing individuals to gradually learn that the situation is safe. In the new approach to reducing fear of heights, participants suffering from the condition obtained similar results through VR. This discovery challenges the traditional understanding that fear extinction necessarily requires repeated exposure to fear-inducing stimuli.
According to the research team, led by Fujino Misako and Haruno Masahiko, the virtual flying experience induces a sense of security in the participants, making them imagine that “even if I fall, I can fly”. Notably, the effect is associated with the empowerment that comes with being in control of the flight. For a second group of participants that were only watching a recording of a flight, the reduction in symptoms was significantly lower compared to the flight group.
Possible application for other phobias
In the study, the physical symptoms were measured as skin conductance response. When we experience fear or stress, the sympathetic nervous system is activated, causing a small amount of sweat to be secreted from areas like the palms. This can be measured as a change in the skin’s electrical conductance. As for the subjective symptoms, they were self-reported by the participants on an 11-point scale.
The study suggests that the prediction of transitioning to safety through self-action could serve as a new mechanism for fear extinction. Going forward, the researchers plan to investigate whether VR experiences may provide long-term reductions in fear responses for acrophobia (fear of spiders) and possibly other phobias.
Source: “VR Flight Experience Reduces Fear of Heights by Action-Based Prediction of Safety”, press release, NICT.
Contributor
