A Mixed Method Study on the Effectiveness of Using Virtual Reality to Improve Adolescent Public Speaking
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47611/jsrhs.v10i4.2098Keywords:
Virtual Reality (VR), Public Speaking, Anxiety, Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET), AdolescentAbstract
This study analyzes the extent to which virtual reality technology is effective in improving self-confidence in children and adolescents ages 12-18 when public speaking. Using a mixed method of both quantitative and qualitative data, subject responses were collected through a pre- and post-test survey prior to and after completing a set of three virtual reality simulations. The data demonstrated that with an increasing number of audience members present in a virtual simulation, subject confidence levels decreased, suggesting that virtual reality can be used as an effective tool in reducing public speaking anxiety. While the current study supports this claim, additional research should be conducted based on the limitations of this study, specifically to enlarge the sample size beyond 20 subjects.
Downloads
References or Bibliography
References
Arnold, James K., "Stress to Success: Public Speaking Anxiety and its Relationship to Perceived Leadership" (2018). Education Doctoral Dissertations in Leadership. 110. https://ir.stthomas.edu/caps_ed_lead_docdiss/110
Boeldt, D., Mcmahon, E., Mcfaul, M., & Greenleaf, W. (2019). Using Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy to Enhance Treatment of Anxiety Disorders: Identifying Areas of Clinical Adoption and Potential Obstacles. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00773
Bohil, C. J., Alicea, B., & Biocca, F. A. (2011). Virtual Reality in Neuroscience Research and Therapy. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 12(12), 752–762. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn3122
Chu, B., Marwaha, K., Sanvictores, T., & Ayers, D. (2020). Physiology, Stress Reaction. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing.
Freeman, D., Evans, N., Lister, R., Antley, A., Dunn, G., & Slater, M. (2014). Height, social comparison, and paranoia: An immersive virtual Reality experimental study. Psychiatry Research, 218(3), 348-352. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2013.12.014
Harris, S. R., Kemmerling, R. L., & North, M. M. (2002). Brief Virtual Reality Therapy for Public Speaking Anxiety. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 5(6), 543–550. http://128.192.206.60/share/files/papers/virtual%20humans/brief%20virtual%20reality%20therapy%20for%20public%20speaking%20anxiety.pdf
Kahlon, S., Lindner, P., & Nordgreen, T. (2019). Virtual reality exposure therapy for adolescents with fear of public speaking: A non-randomized feasibility and pilot study. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, 13(1). doi:10.1186/s13034-019-0307-y
Lindner, P., Dagöö, J., Hamilton, W., Miloff, A., Andersson, G., Schill, A., & Carlbring, P. (2020). Virtual Reality exposure therapy for public speaking anxiety in routine care: A single-subject effectiveness trial. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, 1-21. doi:10.1080/16506073.2020.1795240
Lindner, P., Miloff, A., Zetterlund, E., Reuterskiöld, L., Andersson, G., & Carlbring, P. (2019). Attitudes Toward and Familiarity With Virtual Reality Therapy Among Practicing Cognitive Behavior Therapists: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study in the Era of Consumer VR Platforms. Frontiers in Psychology, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00176
Pan, X., & Hamilton, A. F. D. C. (2018). Why and how to use virtual reality to study human social interaction: The challenges of exploring a new research landscape. British Journal of Psychology, 109(3), 395–417. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjop.12290
Scruton, R. (2010). Hiding Behind the Screen. The New Atlantis, (28), 48-60. Retrieved October 28, 2020, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/43152971
Slater, M., Pertaub, D., & Steed, A. (1999). Public speaking in virtual reality: Facing an audience of avatars. IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications, 19(2), 6-9. doi:10.1109/38.749116
Stupar-Rutenfrans, S., Ketelaars, L. E., & Gisbergen, M. S. (2017). Beat the Fear of Public Speaking: Mobile 360° Video Virtual Reality Exposure Training in Home Environment Reduces Public Speaking Anxiety. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 20(10), 624-633. doi:10.1089/cyber.2017.0174
Vera, L., Herrera, G., & Vived, E. (2005). Virtual reality school for children with learning difficulties. Proceedings of the 2005 ACM SIGCHI International Conference on Advances in Computer Entertainment Technology - ACE '05. https://doi.org/10.1145/1178477.1178541
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Copyright (c) 2021 Amber Frantz; Kimberly Grosenbacher
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Copyright holder(s) granted JSR a perpetual, non-exclusive license to distriute & display this article.