VR Embodiment for Stress Evaluation in a Return to Work Simulation

Clinique Saint-Jean, Bruxelles40 enrolled

Overview

Comparing the emotional effect of two different versions of one VR experience. The VR experience will simulate a typical return to work situation after an absence due to burnout. The difference of the VR scenario is the point of view. In the first version, the 'standard' version, the user is looking at the VR experience from a neutral point of view, as if s/he was watching a 2D screen. In the second version, the 'embodiment' version, a VR features is added to have the user feeling incarnated in a digital human. This will enhance the feeling of being present in the virtual world and will enhance the emotional answer. The measured endpoint will be the evoked emotions, in particular stress.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

OTHER

Masking

DOUBLE

Enrollment

Conditions

Virtual Reality Stress Burnout

Interventions

Embodiment of a real human in a virtual human (avatar) means that the real human feels incarnated in the avatar. This happens when the real human sees the VRscenario from first person perspective, that the real human can make the avatar move (=agency over the avatar), multi-sensorial integration (=there is a link between the brain of the real human and the avatar. Example, when the avatar sits on a chair, the real human will too and he feels that he is sitting on a chair. Or when the avatar is moving the real human is doing the same movement (and of course the brain of the real human is aware of this movement)) and co-location (= avatar and real human have the sane posture).

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 65 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * working in the office building where the study will be conducted Exclusion Criteria: * neurologic disorder precluding the use of VR goggles (epilepsy, …), * facial wounds precluding the use of VR goggles. * a preliminary test evaluating the stress level will be conducted, DASS -21: stress levels above moderate is an exclusion criteria

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

measured stress level

This is measured with a Visual Analogue Scale from 1-10 and with the DASS-21, subscale stress

Time frame: this will be evaluated after the intervention and will take 15 min.

Secondary Outcomes

measured Emotional level

general emotional level, measured with the PANAS scale

Time frame: 15 min, before (baseline) and after the intervention

measured stress baseline

This is measured with a Visual Analogue Scale from 1-10 and with the DASS-21, subscale

Time frame: 15min, before the intervention

embodiment evaluation

measuring the level of embodiment experienced by the user

Time frame: 20 min after the intervention

plausibility illusion and place illusion

Answering the question: is it possible that it happens and that it happens here?. Assessed together with the level of embodiment, also with a questionnaire.

Time frame: 20 min after intervention