Utility of virtual reality environments to examine physiological reactivity and subjective distress in adults who stutter
Abstract
Purpose Virtual reality environments (VREs) allow for immersion in speaking environments that mimic real-life interactions while maintaining researcher control. VREs have been used successfully to engender arousal in other disorders. The purpose of this study was to investigate the utility of virtual reality environments to examine physiological reactivity and subjective ratings of distress in persons who stutter (PWS).Method Subjective and objective measures of arousal were collected from 10PWS during four-minute speeches to a virtual audience and to a virtual empty room.Results Stuttering frequency and physiological measures (skin conductance level and heart rate) did not differ across speaking conditions, but subjective ratings of distress were significantly higher in the virtual audience condition compared to the virtual empty room.Conclusion VREs have utility in elevating subjective ratings of distress in PWS. VREs have the potential to be useful tools for practicing treatment targets in a safe, controlled, and systematic manner.
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Previous research has shown that cognitive and physiological components of anxiety are not always closely linked and do not always change together in a predictable manner.
“Previous research, including studies with virtual audiences, has similarly shown that cognitive and physiological components of anxiety are not always closely linked and do not always change together in a predictable manner (Brundage et al., 2016; Girondini et al., 2023; Maron et al., 2016).”
From Speaking face-to-face with a virtual avatar to reduce anxiety in students who stutter: Tool development and pilot study results. (2026) · cites this paper as Brundage et al., 2016
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- Authors
- Brundage, S. B., Brinton, J. M., & Hancock, A. B.
- Affiliations
- George Washington University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Brundage, Shelley B.
- Venue
- Journal of Fluency Disorders
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2016-12
- Volume
- 50
- Pages
- 85-95
- ISSN
- 0094-730X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2528372287
- Cited by
- 26
- References
- 54
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 5 · 2017: 1
- FWCI
- 2.67
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Fluency Disorders (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- University Facilitating Fund
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Stuttering Research and Treatment
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Voice and Speech Disorders
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Keywords
- virtual reality, stuttering, physiological reactivity, subjective distress, skin conductance level, heart rate, speaking anxiety, virtual audience, speech fluency, arousal
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Arousal, Autonomic Nervous System, Heart Rate, Humans, Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System, Male, Speech, Stuttering, Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy
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