The use of virtual reality (VR) exposure for reducing contamination fear and disgust: Can VR be an effective alternative exposure technique to in vivo?
Abstract Background and objectives Virtual reality (VR) has become a new tool in psychological research and application. Although several studies have investigated its triggering and reducing role in anxiety via VR based exposure and response prevention (VR ERP) across different psychopathologies, its efficiency in contamination fear and reduction of disgust are yet to be examined. The study contributes to the field by investigating the effectiveness of the VR ERP on the reduction of anxiety, disgust and urge to wash levels using an experimental design. Methods A total of 21 non clinical participants with high contamination fear were randomly assigned to experimental (n 9) and control (n 12) groups. The experimental group was exposed to repeated VR ERP sessions. Results After a minimum of three VR ERP sessions, the experimental group scored significantly lower than the control group on the anxiety, disgust, and urge to wash hands scores. Limitations A small sample size, an analogue sample, and a generic virtual scenario content were potential limitations of the study. Conclusions The results indicated that the VR ERP can be an efficient and alternative exposure tool in the reduction of anxiety, disgust, and urge to wash hands. The theoretical and clinical applications of the VR ERP in the treatment of contamination based OCD symptoms were discussed in light of our findings.