USING VIRTUAL REALITY SIMULATION TO REDUCE STAGE FRIGHT DURING PUBLIC APPEARANCES

Abstract

Past applications of virtual reality (VR) and related research have provided evidence that VR technology is helpful for educational and training purposes and that it can be used as a therapeutic measure. Virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) may, therefore, be beneficial in reducing public speaking anxiety (PSA), which is a very common phenomenon. In this preliminary study, we conducted an experiment to investigate the psychological and physiological response to stressors experienced when speaking in public by creating a virtual audience displaying worst-case-scenario behavior (gossiping, shaking their heads, pointing at the speaker, standing up, and even leaving the room). In addition, other potential stressors were introduced (standing on an elevated platform, jumping off the platform, blocking someone’s path, approaching a door that opens automatically, and throwing objects). To measure the responses of participants to these stimuli, we asked them to complete a questionnaire and monitored their heart rate. Our findings suggest that people’s anxiety increases when they interact with other people in a virtual world, and when they are exposed to certain stimuli, which may be reduced with the repeated application of VRET.