CraveInVR: Investigating immersive VR technologies to simulate craving-inducing social situations targeting use in CET for individuals with AUD
Translated title
CraveInVR
Authors
Junker, Andreas ; Hutters, Carl Hanefeld-Møller ; Reipur, Daniel Boonma ; Sørensen, Lasse Embøl
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2021
Submitted on
2021-05-28
Pages
45
Abstract
Denne undersøgelse ser på, om immersive VR-oplevelser (IVR) kan bruges i cue-eksponeringsterapi for personer med alkoholafhængighed. I sådan terapi udsætter man bevidst personer for alkoholrelaterede triggere, så de kan øve håndteringsstrategier. Mange nuværende værktøjer fanger ikke den sociale kompleksitet i virkelige risikosituationer, fx social tilstedeværelse og gruppepres, hvilket kan gøre det sværere at overføre læring til hverdagen. Derfor afprøves mere virkelighedsnære VR-scenarier i denne studie. I et første within-subjects-eksperiment (n=25) i en virtuel bar kunne deltagerne justere udvalgte elementer i miljøet for at finde ud af, hvad der mest bidrog til følelsen af “tilstedeværelse” – altså oplevelsen af virkelig at være der. Deltagerne prioriterede i denne rækkefølge: et rigere lydbillede, mere livagtige animationer hos de virtuelle personer, mere troværdige reaktioner fra de virtuelle personer og til sidst geometrisk realisme. Forfatteren bemærker, at de valgte intervaltrin for disse justeringer kan have påvirket resultaterne. I et andet within-subjects-eksperiment (n=26) blev en 3D-IVR-oplevelse af en bar sammenlignet med en tilsvarende 360-graders IVR-oplevelse. Man sammenlignede selvrapporteret alkoholsug samt tilstedeværelse målt som “place illusion” (følelsen af at være der) og “plausibility” (om scenen føles troværdig). Undersøgelsen blev suppleret med fysiologiske mål og en kvalitativ opfølgning, og en neutral VR-skovscene blev brugt som baseline mellem bar-scenarierne. Resultaterne viste en statistisk signifikant forskel i tilstedeværelse, med en lille fordel til 360-graders IVR, mens forskellen i selvrapporteret alkoholsug mellem de to bar-scenarier ikke var statistisk signifikant. Interessant nok pegede fysiologiske data på stærkere følelsesmæssig påvirkning i 3D-IVR. Uanset format udløste begge bar-scenarier signifikant højere sug end den neutrale skovscene, hvilket peger på potentialet i IVR-barer til at fremkalde relevante reaktioner til brug i terapi.
This study examines whether immersive virtual reality (IVR) experiences can support cue exposure therapy for people with alcohol use disorder. In such therapy, people are deliberately exposed to alcohol-related triggers so they can practice coping skills. Many current tools do not capture the social complexity of real high-risk situations—such as social presence and peer pressure—making it harder for learning to transfer to daily life. To address this, the study tests more lifelike VR scenarios. In a first within-subjects experiment (n=25) set in a virtual bar, participants adjusted specific features to see which ones most increased their sense of “presence,” meaning the feeling of truly being there. Participants prioritized, in order: a richer soundscape, more lifelike animations of virtual people, more believable reactions from virtual people, and then geometric realism. The author notes that the chosen step sizes for these settings may have influenced preferences. In a second within-subjects experiment (n=26), a 3D IVR bar was compared with a similar 360-degree IVR bar. The study measured self-reported alcohol craving and presence, captured as “place illusion” (feeling of being there) and “plausibility” (how believable the scene feels). Physiological measures and a qualitative follow-up were added, and a neutral VR forest scene served as a baseline between bar conditions. Results showed a statistically significant difference in presence with a slight advantage for the 360-degree IVR, while differences in self-reported craving between the two bar versions were not statistically significant. Notably, physiological data indicated stronger affect in the 3D IVR. In both comparisons with the neutral forest scene, bar scenarios elicited significantly higher craving, suggesting that IVR bar environments can reliably induce relevant responses for therapeutic use.
[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]
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