Augmented reality for the treatment of arachnophobia: exposure therapy

Abstract

Purpose People who suffer from phobias try to avoid a specific object or feared situation by creating a great obstacle that causes serious consequences in their daily life; the most effective way to deal with a phobia is through exposure therapy, which according to one of the most important principles of psychology states that to overcome a fear you have to face it. The purpose of this paper is to develop a mobile application based on augmented reality (AR) for the treatment of spider phobia (Araneae). Design/methodology/approach The application development methodology was divided into two phases: design where sketches were made according to functional requirements, and the client server model was used for user queries and the development phase where the modules for the information of the phobia; and visualization of the arachnid in different morphological forms was implemented through the development tools. Findings The findings of this study, in this sense, state that it was possible to overcome the phobia in an essential way by ceasing to perceive harmless things as dangerous, helping them to manage stress and keep them under control. Originality/value Allowing to face their fears in support of existing therapeutic processes through images with progressively AR, being an innovative and accessible treatment from an economic, technological and professional point of view.

Tackling Noise: Technology Integration for Improved Noise Pollution Monitoring

“…In the specific case of children, early exposure to high noise levels can negatively affect language development and learning. 10 Constant exposure to noise can cause anxiety and depression, affecting the quality of life and emotional well-being of people living in noisy areas. 11…”