- NEW YORK — The virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) technology could
simulate stressful situations and help people practice stress-relief
strategies, a new study has revealed.
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- Everyday situations can sometimes feel like big stressors,
whether it's delivering an important work presentation, attending a party full
of strangers or confronting a partner. Talking to a friend or a therapist can
help. But so can practice.
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- A new project from Carnegie Mellon University researchers in
the US aimed to make that practice easier by using VR/AR technology.
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- The research team, led by Anna Fang in the School of
Computer Science's Human-Computer Interaction Institute, tested their stress
simulation technology on a group of 19 participants, the majority of whom
overwhelmingly supported it.
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- "For the past 10 to 20 years, virtual reality and
augmented reality have taken a really big hold on the health and mental health
space," said Fang, noting the many meditation apps available for download.
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- The team built eight prototypes with different design
elements for each of the three scenarios, for a total of 24 prototypes. Those
prototypes took various forms — virtual reality, mixed or augmented reality, or
a text-based environment without visual cues — and offered different degrees of
interaction.
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- Overall, Fang and her team found that people liked using the
technology to gain more awareness about themselves. "They wanted
technology that would help them learn self-sufficiency skills that they didn't
feel they had," she said.
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- Participants also noted that they preferred being able to
decide when the large language model suggested guidance instead of receiving
that guidance automatically.
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