Chung Kyu-Soo, Goebert Chad, Johnson John David
Department of Exercise Science and Sport Management, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA 30144, USA.
Behav Sci (Basel). 2024 Aug 10;14(8):695. doi: 10.3390/bs14080695.
This study investigates the relationship between Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET) and social anxiety in sport environments. Social anxiety is a mental health condition that manifests people's intense fear of being watched and judged by others and worrying about humiliation It is important to research potential tools like VRET that could help to mitigate the impact of social anxiety as people with social anxiety often avoid attending live events due to the venue's sensory stimuli and the social encounters they anticipate. VR simulation could allow socially anxious individuals to fully experience a sporting event simulation minus the anxiety induced by potential social encounters. VR's therapeutic effects on social anxiety should be explored when considering several findings of VR intervention to mental health.
The study aims to assess the impact of exposing socially anxious people to a virtual sporting game by measuring their levels of social anxiety, team identification, and intentions to attend a live sporting event before and after the VR exposure. Due to VR's positive experience, social anxiety is expected to decrease. However, team identification and intentions to attend live sporting events are expected to increase because of VR's ability to develop sport fanship.
Fourteen students with symptoms of social anxiety participated in the study. To create the VR simulation stimuli, the researchers used six 360° cameras to record an NCAA Division-I women's volleyball game. Participants experienced the sporting event via VR simulation. Data were analyzed via one-group pre- and post-comparison.
Significant results were found for behavioral intentions of participants after experiencing the simulation. Social anxiety's difference was negative 0.22, t(13) = 3.47, < 0.01. After watching the game in VR, the respondents' social anxiety decreased significantly. Team identification's difference was 0.53, t(13) = -3.56, < 0.01. Lastly, event visit intentions' difference was 0.24, t(13) = -2.35, < 0.05. Team identification and intentions to visit a sporting event rose significantly after viewing the game in VR.
本研究调查了虚拟现实暴露疗法（VRET）与体育环境中社交焦虑之间的关系。社交焦虑是一种心理健康状况，表现为人们强烈害怕被他人注视和评判，并担心受到羞辱。研究像VRET这样的潜在工具很重要，因为社交焦虑者常常由于场地的感官刺激和预期的社交接触而避免参加现场活动。虚拟现实模拟可以让社交焦虑者充分体验体育赛事模拟，而不会受到潜在社交接触引发的焦虑影响。在考虑虚拟现实干预对心理健康的多项研究结果时，应探索其对社交焦虑的治疗效果。
本研究旨在通过测量社交焦虑者在虚拟现实暴露前后的社交焦虑水平、团队认同感以及参加现场体育赛事的意愿，来评估让他们接触虚拟体育游戏的影响。由于虚拟现实带来的积极体验，预计社交焦虑会降低。然而，由于虚拟现实培养体育粉丝的能力，预计团队认同感和参加现场体育赛事的意愿会增加。
14名有社交焦虑症状的学生参与了该研究。为了创建虚拟现实模拟刺激，研究人员使用6台360°摄像机录制了一场美国大学体育协会（NCAA）一级女子排球比赛。参与者通过虚拟现实模拟体验了该体育赛事。数据通过单组前后比较进行分析。
在参与者体验模拟后，其行为意图方面发现了显著结果。社交焦虑的差异为-0.22，t(13) = 3.47，p < 0.01。在通过虚拟现实观看比赛后，受访者的社交焦虑显著降低。团队认同感的差异为0.53，t(13) = -3.56，p < 0.01。最后，赛事参观意愿的差异为0.24，t(13) = -2.35，p < 0.05。在通过虚拟现实观看比赛后，团队认同感和参观体育赛事的意愿显著上升。
