Virtual reality: a tool capable of generating emotions

Abstract

The creation of virtual environments that allow interacting with simulated phenomena arises as one of the most powerful tools in the field of clinical psychology. Virtual Reality is able to elicit a feeling of presence and emotional states that can be useful for therapy in various psychological disorders. The aim of this paper is to check the ability of artificial environments to elicit emotions in a healthy population within the scientific paradigm of startle reflex modulation. We assessed the subjective and physiological responses of 54 students (27 women and 27 men) while they visualized 9 virtual environments (3 pleasant, 3 neutral and 3 unpleasant). The physiological test was composed by a 5-minute adaptation period followed by 18 startle trials. The virtual stimuli were displayed during 20 seconds in a 180 degrees immersive screen. The results demonstrate the ability of virtual environments to modulate emotional responses within the defensive reflexes modulation paradigm.