TY - JOUR
T1 - Multi-modal responses to the Virtual Reality Trier Social Stress Test
T2 - A comparison with standard interpersonal and control conditions
AU - Fallon, M.A.
AU - Hendricx-Riem, Madelon
AU - Kunst, L.E.
AU - Kop, W.J.
AU - Kupper, H.M.
N1 - Funding
Study 1 was sponsored by the Tilburg University Alumni Fund, the Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, and the Center of Research on Psychological and Somatic disorders, Tilburg University, The Netherlands.
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - The Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) is a reliable social-evaluative stressor. To overcome limitations of the in vivo TSST, a standardized virtual reality TSST (VR-TSST) was developed. The present study compares the emotional (anxiety) and physiological (heart period and variability) response to a VR-TSST with an in vivo TSST and a control condition. Participants took part in either an in vivo TSST (N = 106, 64% female), VR-TSST (N = 52, 100% female), or a control TSST (N = 20, 40% female). Mixed linear modeling examined response profile differences related to TSST type. While there was an equivalent anxiety response to the in vivo TSST as the VR-TSST, we found a smaller heart period and heart rate variability response in VR-TSST compared to the in vivo TSST, especially in response to the math part of the test. The present findings demonstrate that social evaluative stress can be successfully induced in a VR setting, producing similar emotional and slightly attenuated cardiovascular responses.
AB - The Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) is a reliable social-evaluative stressor. To overcome limitations of the in vivo TSST, a standardized virtual reality TSST (VR-TSST) was developed. The present study compares the emotional (anxiety) and physiological (heart period and variability) response to a VR-TSST with an in vivo TSST and a control condition. Participants took part in either an in vivo TSST (N = 106, 64% female), VR-TSST (N = 52, 100% female), or a control TSST (N = 20, 40% female). Mixed linear modeling examined response profile differences related to TSST type. While there was an equivalent anxiety response to the in vivo TSST as the VR-TSST, we found a smaller heart period and heart rate variability response in VR-TSST compared to the in vivo TSST, especially in response to the math part of the test. The present findings demonstrate that social evaluative stress can be successfully induced in a VR setting, producing similar emotional and slightly attenuated cardiovascular responses.
KW - Cardiovascular responses
KW - Heart rate variability
KW - Psychosocial stress
KW - Trier Social Stress Test
KW - Virtual reality
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85100102504&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2021.01.010
DO - 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2021.01.010
M3 - Article
SN - 0167-8760
VL - 161
SP - 27
EP - 34
JO - International Journal of Psychophysiology
JF - International Journal of Psychophysiology
ER -