Virtual Reality Nature Exposure and Test Anxiety

O'Meara, Alison; Cassarino, Marica; Bolger, Aaron; Setti, Annalisa

doi:10.31219/osf.io/cf8va

Cited by 7 publications

(7 citation statements)

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“…For instance, the study by Anderson et al [58] has shown that exposure to 360 °videos of nature reduced negative affect in comparison to a control environment. Another study revealed that VR nature exposure improved negative affect in a sample of students who experienced exam anxiety [59]. Contrary to our expectations, there were no significant changes in perceived stress.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

Connecting to Nature through 360° Videos during COVID-19 Confinement: A Pilot Study of a Brief Psychological Intervention

Navarrete

Navarro-Siurana

Herrero

et al. 2022

Journal of Healthcare Engineering

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Psychological interventions have been shown to be beneficial in mitigating stress related to COVID-19 confinement. According to theories of restorative environments, exposure to natural surroundings has positive effects on well-being and stress through its restorative qualities. With 360° video-based Virtual Reality (VR), people can be exposed to nature and so better manage the consequences associated with mobility restrictions during confinement. The main aim of this pilot study was to examine whether a 360° video-based VR intervention composed of five 13-minute sessions (once a day) has positive effects on affect, well-being, and stress. The sample was made up of 10 participants (4 men and 6 women; age : M = 46.5, SD = 11.7) who were confined at home (voluntarily or not) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were instructed to watch a 360° video each day (of a “beach” or “lake” environment) using their smartphone and VR glasses sent to them by mail. Participants responded with several self-reports before and/or after each session (emotions and sense of presence) and before and/or after the intervention (affect, well-being, perceived stress, perceived restorativeness of nature, and the usefulness and acceptability of the intervention). Results showed a tendency to improve positive (e.g., happiness) and negative (e.g., anxiousness) emotions and experience a high sense of presence after each session. Moreover, perceived restorative qualities of the environment and their cognitive and behavioral effects were high. A significant decrease in negative affect was found after the intervention. Usefulness and acceptability were also high. This is the first study to show that an affordable and accessible technology can be used to overcome the negative consequences of confinement and counteract its harmful psychological effects.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

Connecting to Nature through 360° Videos during COVID-19 Confinement: A Pilot Study of a Brief Psychological Intervention

Navarrete

Navarro-Siurana

Herrero

et al. 2022

Journal of Healthcare Engineering

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“…(i.e., score equal to 6.5) percentiles, we categorized the studies into "high quality", "medium quality" and "low quality" (Table S3). Fourteen studies were classified as having a high quality (Annerstedt et al, 2013;Blum et al, 2019;Browning, Mimnaugh et al, 2020;Hedblom et al, 2019;Huang et al, 2020;Lakhani et al, 2020;O'meara et al, 2020;Palanica et al, 2019;Rockstroh et al, 2019;Schutte et al, 2017;Sneed et al, 2021;Tabrizian et al, 2018;Wang et al, 2020;Yeo et al, 2020),a further sixteen studies (Anderson et al, 2017;Calogiuri et al, 2018;Chirico, & Gaggioli, 2019;Fleury et al, 2021;Hofman et al, 2021;Lindquist et al, 2020;Liszio, & Masuch, 2019;Liszio et al, 2018;Mattila et al, 2020;Reese et al, 2021;Schebella et al, 2020;Wang et al, 2019;Xiang et al, 2021;Yu et al, 2018;Yu et al, 2020) were classified as having "medium quality", and eight (Burmeister et al, 2018;Evensen et al, 2021;Gao et al, 2019a;2019b;Je, & Lee, 2020;Mostajeran et al, 2021;Pals et al, 2014;van Vliet et al, 2021) as having "low quality". The item in which we found a lower overall score is that on power analysis (pre-or post-hoc) which...…”

Section: Quality Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The effect of virtual nature on positive emotions is inconsistent. A series of studies found that positive emotions did not increase after exposure to virtual nature (Anderson et al, 2017;Gao, Zhang et al, 2019;O'meara et al, 2020). Other studies, however, report significant effects suggesting that exposure to virtual nature was at least no different from exposure to other conditions, such as outdoor nature and biofeedback without VR or no biofeedback (Chirico & Gaggioli, 2019;Rockstroh et al, 2019).…”

Section: Positive Emotionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Virtual Nature and Psychological Outcomes: A Systematic Review

Spano¹,

Theodorou²,

Reese³

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Evidence on the benefits of virtual nature for individuals is steadily increasing. In this contribution, report a systematic review summarizing studies that examined the implications of virtual nature on psychological and psychophysiological outcomes up to 2021. We used Scopus, Web of Science, and PsycINFO to identify the studies of interest. We found 160 records, of which 38 met the eligibility criteria. Results from quality assessment showed that most studies (thirty) were of medium or high quality and only eight were evaluated as low-quality studies. Studies addressed three main outcomes: mood, stress, and restorativeness. Other outcomes such as environmental preference, nature connectedness, cognitive performance received less attention, whilst others such as creativity, perceived safety, subjective vitality, and behavioral intentions were hardly investigated at all. Findings generally demonstrate a positive effect of virtual nature for its users, often comparable to outdoor nature exposure. Studies adopted experimental or quasi-experimental designs, used heterogeneous measures and often sample sizes of unknown power. Future research directions could consider uninvestigated outcomes using larger studies with adequate power and identified best practices.

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“…Whether real or virtual, situations or objects that cause anxiety and fear can be used to affect test anxiety associated with academic achievement, as they can reduce stress and improve cognitive function. The use of 360º video technology can reduce the negative effects of the test experience on students (O'Meara, Cassarino, Bolger, & Setti, 2020). Especially 360-degree video technology, which can be effective in treating psychological problems, can also offer a solution to academic problems such as test anxiety.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development of Immersive 360° Virtual Reality Videos for Intervention with Test Anxiety

DOĞAN,

ÜZMEZ,

DAĞILGAN

et al. 2024

Preprint

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The main purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of 360-degree virtual reality videos on simulating test anxiety among students who already experience it. In this study, which used a phenomenological design, one of the qualitative research methodologies, various questions were asked of the students about their immersion in the virtual environment. Questions such as "How much did the visual elements of the environment draw you in?", "How convincing were the feelings that the video objects evoked?", "How quickly did you adapt to the virtual environment?", "How much did you feel involved in the virtual environment?" and "How deeply did you experience your senses during this encounter?" were asked. The study aimed to determine the level of interaction with the virtual world, the realism of the environment, and the intensity of emotional experiences in the simulated test environment by utilizing the insights and experiences of the students. The research was conducted with a cohort of seven students (four girls and three boys) who met the predetermined study criteria. The obtained data were subjected to content analysis to obtain meaningful insights. The findings revealed that exposure to virtual reality created an effective sense of reality among users. Participants who shared their experiences confirmed that 360-degree VR videos triggered test anxiety symptoms similar to those experienced during real tests, increasing their sense of immersion in the virtual environment. Users also stated that distressing emotions that are intensely experienced during real tests intensified similarly when they were exposed to 360-degree VR videos. In particular, individuals with test anxiety reported that unwanted emotions were stimulated more prominently through exposure to 360-degree VR videos compared to exposure based on imagination alone. In this context, exposure to 360-degree VR videos yielded expected results and showed potential to be a powerful tool, although not superior to in vivo (real-life) exposure.

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Virtual Reality Nature Exposure and Test Anxiety

Cited by 7 publications

References 0 publications

Connecting to Nature through 360° Videos during COVID-19 Confinement: A Pilot Study of a Brief Psychological Intervention

Connecting to Nature through 360° Videos during COVID-19 Confinement: A Pilot Study of a Brief Psychological Intervention

Virtual Nature and Psychological Outcomes: A Systematic Review

Development of Immersive 360° Virtual Reality Videos for Intervention with Test Anxiety

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