Immersive 3D exposure-based treatment for spider fear: a randomized controlled trial
Abstract
Stereoscopic 3D gives the viewer the same shape, size, perspective and depth they would experience viewing the real world and could mimic the perceptual threat cues present in real life. This is the first study to investigate whether an immersive stereoscopic 3D video exposure-based treatment would be effective in reducing fear of spiders. Participants with a fear of spiders (N = 77) watched two psychoeducational videos with facts about spiders and phobias. They were then randomized to a treatment condition that watched a single session of a stereoscopic 3D immersive video exposure-based treatment (six 5-min exposures) delivered through a virtual reality headset or a psychoeducation only control condition that watched a 30-min neutral video (2D documentary) presented on a computer monitor. Assessments of spider fear (Fear of Spiders Questionnaire [FSQ], Behavioral Approach Task [BAT], & subjective ratings of fear) were completed pre- and post-treatment. Consistent with prediction, the stereoscopic 3D video condition outperformed the control condition in reducing fear of spiders showing a large between-group effect size on the FSQ (Cohen's d = 0.85) and a medium between-group effect size on the BAT (Cohen's d = 0.47). This provides initial support for stereoscopic 3D video in treating phobias.
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360° panoramas could evoke similar cognitive and emotional responses to those experienced in a real physical environment and are more realistic than still images.
“Thus, 360° panoramas could have potential because they can evoke similar cognitive and emotional responses to the ones experienced in a real physical environment, and they are more realistic than still images (Minns et al., 2018; Higuera-Trujillo et al., 2017).”
From An internet-based treatment for flying phobia using 360° images: A feasibility pilot study (2022) · cites this paper as Minns et al., 2018
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- Authors
- Minns, S., Levihn-Coon, A., Carl, E., Smits, J. A. J., Miller, W., Howard, D., Papini, S., Quiroz, S., Lee-Furman, E., Telch, M., Carlbring, P., Xanthopoulos, D., & Powers, M. B.
- Affiliations
- The University of Texas at Austin (US)
- Stockholm University (SE)
- Baylor University Medical Center (US)
- Corresponding author
- Carl, Emily
- ORCID
- Venue
- Journal of Anxiety Disorders
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2018-08
- Volume
- 58
- Pages
- 1-7
- ISSN
- 0887-6185 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W4243028678
- Cited by
- 31
- References
- 34
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 2
- FWCI
- 4.58
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Anxiety Disorders (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Human-Computer Interaction › Virtual Reality Applications and Impacts
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Digital Mental Health Interventions
- Keywords
- spider phobia, stereoscopic 3D video, immersive virtual reality, exposure therapy, phobia treatment, fear reduction, psychoeducation
- MeSH terms
- Virtual Reality, Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Animals, Cues, Fear, Female, Humans, Implosive Therapy, Male, Middle Aged, Phobic Disorders, Surveys and Questionnaires, Spiders, Young Adult
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