The interactivity of an immersive environment comes up from the relationship that is established between the user and the system. This relationship results in a set of data exchanges between human and technological actors. The real-time biofeedback devices allow to collect in real time the biodata generated by the user during the exhibition. The analysis, processing and conversion of these biodata into multimodal data allows to relate the stimuli with the emotions they trigger. This work describes an adaptive model for biofeedback data flows management used in the design of interactive immersive systems. The use of an affective algorithm allows to identify the types of emotions felt by the user and the respective intensities. The mapping between stimuli and emotions creates a set of biodata that can be used as elements of interaction that will readjust the stimuli generated by the system. The real-time interaction generated by the evolution of the user’s emotional state and the stimuli generated by the system allows him to adapt attitudes and behaviors to the situations he faces.

The application of electroencephalography electrodes in Virtual Reality (VR) glasses allows users to relate cognitive, emotional, and social functions with the exposure to certain stimuli. The development of non-invasive portable devices, coupled with VR, allows for the collection of electroencephalographic data. One of the devices that embraced this new trend is Looxid LinkTM, a system that adds electroencephalography to HTC VIVETM, VIVE ProTM, VIVE Pro EyeTM, or Oculus Rift STM glasses to create interactive environments using brain signals. This work analyzes the possibility of using the Looxid LinkTM device to perceive, evaluate and monitor the emotions of users exposed to VR.

Virtual Reality (VR) has been identified as one of the most promising resources for developing empathy towards stigmatized groups as it allows individuals to experience a situation close to reality from another person’s perspective. This quasi-experimental study aimed to examine the impact on empathy, knowledge, and attitudes towards people with schizophrenia of a VR simulation that reproduces the experience of psychotic symptoms while performing a cognitive task compared with watching a 2D video and, thus, how these experiences could reduce stigma towards people diagnosed with schizophrenia. The sample comprised of 102 higher education health students, distributed by the experimental and control groups. The impact of the program was measured by completing multiple questionnaires on levels of empathy, attitudes, and mental health knowledge. Both methods (VR and 2D video) were, to a certain extent, effective. However, VR was more effective at eliciting attitudes and knowledge change compared to the control group. These findings suggest that not only VR but also 2D videos could be interesting strategies to enhance empathy and improve attitudes towards people with schizophrenia in higher education health students.

O presente trabalho descreve o processo de criação do artefacto multidimensional "e-EMotion-Capsule" que explora a imersividade para gerar emoções através da criação de ambientes impactantes. A perspetiva multidimensional da e-EMotion-Capsule permite ao participante experienciar diferentes ambientes criados recorrendo a tecnologias imersivas como o vídeo a 360, ambientes de realidade virtual e plataformas de realidade mista. O participante coloca os óculos RV para interagir com o artefacto e-EMotion-Capsule, passando ele próprio a fazer parte do universo imersivo em que se envolveu. As suas próprias emoções desencadeiam as funções cognitivas de processamento percetivo, simbólico e lógico determinantes para construir a sua interpretação. O artefacto recorre ao inovador conceito de narrativa a 360 em que o movimento do corpo proporciona uma experimentação interativa, autónoma e personalizada, associada a estímulos visuais e sonoros que se fundem com o próprio participante. A arte digital ao incorporar este tipo de narrativa induz o participante a assumir o papel do personagem principal, desencadeando neste a dualidade entre reagir e agir, entre observar e provocar, quebrando a indiferença e gerando inquietação.

This work focuses on the development of a software link interface tool between the Looxid Link Device coupled to the HTC Vive Pro VR HeadSets and the Unity platform, to generate real-time interactivity in virtual reality applications. The software incorporates a dynamic and parameterizable algorithm to be used as a core-engine in the real-time Biofeedback process, recognizing the values of the biological signals registered in each of the EEG channels of the Looxid Link device. The values of EEG frequencies detected in real time can be used to generate elements of interactivity, with different frequencies and intensities.

Art has a power different from all other human actions; it can produce a variety of human emotions like nothing else. The main purpose of this chapter is to study the relation between media arts and emotions. Virtual environments are increasingly being used by artists; the use of immersive environments allows the media art artist to go further than express himself, allows that through contemplation and interaction the participant also becomes part of the artistic artefact. Immersive environments can induce emotional changes capable of generating states of empathy. Considering an immersive environment as a socio-technical system, where human and non-human elements interact, establishing strong relationships, the authors used actor-network theory as an approach to design an immersive artifact of digital media art. The use of neurofeedback mechanisms during the participant's exposure to immersive environments opens doors to new types of interaction, allowing to explore emotional states to generate empathy.

ObjectivesTo understand the influence of the white coat on patient satisfaction, opinions about medical clothing, perception about confidence, empathy and medical knowledge and the satisfaction and comfort level of physicians in consultation.SettingAn interventional study was conducted with a representative sample of the population attending primary care in central Portugal.ParticipantsThe sample was composed by 286 patients divided into two groups exposed or not to a doctor wearing a white coat. The first and last patients in consultation every day for 10 consecutive days were included.InterventionsEvery other day the volunteer physicians consulted with or without the use of a white coat. At the end of the consultation, a questionnaire was distributed to the patient with simple questions with a Likert scale response, the Portuguese version of the ‘Trust in physician’ scale and the Jefferson Scale of Patient Perceptions of Physician Empathy - Portuguese Version (JSPPPE-VP scale). A questionnaire was also distributed to the physician.OutcomesPlanned and measured primary outcomes were patient satisfaction, trust and perception about empathy and secondary outcomes were opinion about medical clothing, satisfaction and comfort level of physicians in consultation.ResultsThe sample was homogeneous in terms of sociodemographic variables. There were no statistically significant differences between the groups in terms of satisfaction, trust, empathy and knowledge perceived by the patients. There were differences in the opinion of the patients about the white coat, and when the physician was wearing the white coat this group of patients tended to think that this was the only acceptable attire for the physician (p<0.001). But when the family physician was in consultation without the white coat, this group of patients tended to agree that communication was easier (p=0.001).ConclusionsThere was no significant impact of the white coat in patient satisfaction, empathy and confidence in the family physician.Trial registration numberClinicalTrials.gov ID number: NCT03965416.

The research intends to gather on a IoT Platform, a set of data existing in the ecosystem - in the universe of things, from sources and types of diverse origin coming from messages, devices, sensors, etc. These structured and related data allow us to generate indicators of anxiety about which we intend to act, either preventively or proactively, through information for an individual's awareness and self-regulation.