Using physiological data to evaluate anxiety responses during different behavioural avoidance tests

Abstract

Specific phobias, such as spider phobia, are a widespread condition, that can negatively impact the quality of life of affected people. Phobias are typically characterised by avoidance behaviour, which can be measured using a behavioural avoidance test (BAT). While behavioural avoidance tests are traditionally performed using a real stimulus (e.g., a spider), virtual reality has also gained popularity in the field of psychology. This offers a more accessible and affordable alternative to traditional diagnostic methods. Our work focuses on a comparison of BATs in vivo and in virtuo, and considering two different approach modalities, by analysing the physiological responses of participants. This study aims to investigate whether these responses during in virtuo BATs are comparable to those observed during in vivo BATs, and whether the modality influences the outcome. In this work, we present our study involving 25 participants and an initial look at the data collected.