How Video Passthrough Headsets Influence Perception of Self and Others.

With the increasing adoption of mixed reality (MR) headsets with video passthrough functionality, concerns over perceptual and social effects have surfaced. Building on prior qualitative findings, this study quantitatively investigates the impact of video passthrough on users. Forty participants completed a body transfer task twice, once while wearing a headset in video passthrough and once without a headset.

Examining the Efficacy of Extended Reality-Enhanced Behavioral Activation for Adults With Major Depressive Disorder: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a global concern with increasing prevalence. While many evidence-based psychotherapies (EBPs) have been identified to treat MDD, there are numerous barriers to patients accessing them. Virtual reality (VR) has been used as a treatment enhancement for a variety of mental health disorders, but few studies have examined its clinical use in treating MDD.

Best Practices for Research in Virtual and Augmented Reality in Dermatology.

Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies have advanced rapidly in recent years. These cutting-edge technologies provide dermatology researchers, educators, proceduralists, and patients with opportunities in new scientific horizons. VR is a technology that facilitates immersive human experiences by allowing users to connect with various simulated environments through natural head and hand movements, whereas AR supplements a user's perception of their real environment with virtual elements.

From 65 to 103, Older Adults Experience Virtual Reality Differently Depending on Their Age: Evidence from a Large-Scale Field Study in Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities.

There is growing interest in applications of virtual reality (VR) to improve the lives of older adults, but the limited research on older adults and VR largely treats older adults as a monolith, ignoring the substantial differences across 65 to 100+ year olds that may affect their experience of VR. There are also few existing studies examining the experiences and challenges facing those who facilitate VR for older adults (e.g.

Exploring the Relationship Between Attribute Discrepancy and Avatar Embodiment in Immersive Social Virtual Reality.

Social virtual reality (VR) is an emerging set of platforms where users interact while embodying avatars. Given that VR headsets track real physical movements and map them onto one's avatar body, the nature of one's digital representation is an important aspect of social VR. However, little is known about how the visual proximity of an avatar to the self shapes user experience in naturalistic, social VR environments.

Virtual Reality Behavioral Activation for Adults With Major Depressive Disorder: Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a global crisis with increasing incidence and prevalence. There are many established evidence-based psychotherapies (EBPs) for depression, but numerous barriers still exist; most notably, access and dissemination. Virtual reality (VR) may offer some solutions to existing constraints of EBPs for MDD.

Facial Appearance Dissatisfaction Explains Differences in Zoom Fatigue.

Viewing self-video during videoconferences potentially causes negative self-focused attention that contributes to virtual meeting (VM) or "Zoom" fatigue. The present research examines this proposition, focusing on facial dissatisfaction-feeling unhappy about one's own facial appearance-as a potential psychological mechanism of VM fatigue. A study of survey responses from a panel of 613 adults found that VM fatigue was 14.

Virtual Animals as Diegetic Attention Guidance Mechanisms in 360-Degree Experiences.

360-degree experiences such as cinematic virtual reality and 360-degree videos are becoming increasingly popular. In most examples, viewers can freely explore the content by changing their orientation. However, in some cases, this increased freedom may lead to viewers missing important events within such experiences.

Effect of Virtual Reality Perspective-Taking on Related and Unrelated Contexts.

Virtual reality perspective-taking (VRPT) experiences effectively increase both empathy and prosocial behaviors toward related social targets (e.g., cutting down a tree in virtual reality increases concern for the environment).

Virtual reality and the psychology of climate change.

Researchers and practitioners have used virtual reality (VR) as a tool to understand attitudes and behaviors around climate change for decades. As VR has become more immersive, mainstream, and commercially available, it has also become a medium for education about climate issues, a way to indirectly expose users to novel stimuli, and a tool to tell stories about antienvironmental activity. This review explicates the relationship between VR and climate change from a psychological perspective and offers recommendations to make virtual experiences engaging, available, and impactful for users.

The effect of water immersion on vection in virtual reality.

Research about vection (illusory self-motion) has investigated a wide range of sensory cues and employed various methods and equipment, including use of virtual reality (VR). However, there is currently no research in the field of vection on the impact of floating in water while experiencing VR. Aquatic immersion presents a new and interesting method to potentially enhance vection by reducing conflicting sensory information that is usually experienced when standing or sitting on a stable surface.

Facial expressions contribute more than body movements to conversational outcomes in avatar-mediated virtual environments.

This study focuses on the individual and joint contributions of two nonverbal channels (i.e., face and upper body) in avatar mediated-virtual environments.

Personal identifiability of user tracking data during observation of 360-degree VR video.

Virtual reality (VR) is a technology that is gaining traction in the consumer market. With it comes an unprecedented ability to track body motions. These body motions are diagnostic of personal identity, medical conditions, and mental states.

Virtual Reality Behavioral Activation as an Intervention for Major Depressive Disorder: Case Report.

Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a global problem with an increasing incidence and prevalence. There has additionally been an increase in depression due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Behavioral activation is considered an evidence-based treatment for MDD.

The future is now: Age-progressed images motivate community college students to prepare for their financial futures.

Part of the challenge young people face when preparing for lifelong financial security is visualizing the far-off future. Age-progression technology has been shown to motivate young people to save for retirement. The current study applied age progression for motivating socioeconomically diverse community college students as part of a college planning course.

Virtual Reality-Delivered Mirror Visual Feedback and Exposure Therapy for FND: A Midpoint Report of a Randomized Controlled Feasibility Study.

Objective: The aim was to provide preliminary feasibility, safety, and efficacy data for a personalized virtual reality-delivered mirror visual feedback (VR-MVF) and exposure therapy (VR-ET) intervention for functional neurological disorder (FND).

Methods: Midpoint results of a single-blind, randomized controlled pilot are presented. Fourteen adults were randomly assigned to eight weekly 30-minute VR sessions-seven in the treatment arm and seven in the control arm.

Psychological and physiological effects of applying self-control to the mobile phone.

This preregistered study examined the psychological and physiological consequences of exercising self-control with the mobile phone. A total of 125 participants were randomly assigned to sit in an unadorned room for six minutes and either (a) use their mobile phone, (b) sit alone with no phone, or (c) sit with their device but resist using it. Consistent with prior work, participants self-reported more concentration difficulty and more mind wandering with no device present compared to using the phone.

Key Considerations for Incorporating Conversational AI in Psychotherapy.

Conversational artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the way mental health care is delivered. By gathering diagnostic information, facilitating treatment, and reviewing clinician behavior, conversational AI is poised to impact traditional approaches to delivering psychotherapy. While this transition is not disconnected from existing professional services, specific formulations of clinician-AI collaboration and migration paths between forms remain vague.

Stereotype Threat in Virtual Learning Environments: Effects of Avatar Gender and Sexist Behavior on Women's Math Learning Outcomes.

Women in math, science, and engineering (MSE) often face stereotype threat: they fear that their performance in MSE will confirm an existing negative stereotype-that women are bad at math-which in turn may impair their learning and performance in math. This research investigated if sexist nonverbal behavior of a male instructor could activate stereotype threat among women in a virtual classroom. In addition, the research examined if learners' avatar representation in virtual reality altered this nonverbal process.