Acrophobia
Conditions
Brief summary
Exposure-based cognitive behavior therapy is an efficacious treatment for acrophobia (fear of heights) and has been delivered effectively in a virtual reality (VR) environment. The present study is designed to evaluate the effects of liked, non-lyrical background music on the efficacy of a brief VR exposure intervention.
Detailed description
The goal of this clinical trial is to compare acrophobia (fear of heights) outcomes for VR exposure therapy in college students with elevated acrophobia when listening to music during exposure versus no music. The overarching aim of the current study is to determine how liked, non-lyrical background music will influence acrophobia outcomes after a brief exposure therapy session in VR. The study involves three phases: (1) initial screening, (2) in-person assessment and a brief exposure intervention for a subset of participants with elevated acrophobia, and (3) a one-week follow-up assessment conducted online. Students who choose to participate and screen high on an acrophobia scale will be assigned to an experimental or control condition prior to undergoing VR based exposure therapy. Acrophobia outcomes are measured immediately post-intervention and one week later. Researchers will compare participants in the music condition to participants in the non-music condition to see if acrophobia outcomes differ.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALExposure Intervention Plus Music Induction
VR exposure for acrophobia with background music.
BEHAVIORALExposure Intervention With No Music Induction
VR exposure for acrophobia with no background music.
Sponsors
Boston University Charles River Campus
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Self-report of 18 years of age or older * Current student at Boston University * Ability to read English to provide informed consent * Familiarity with a computer keyboard and mouse or a touch screen device (e.g. phone, tablet) * For Phase 2: Acrophobia score of ≥ 45.45 on the Acrophobia Questionnaire (AQ) Anxiety Subscale
Exclusion criteria
* Previous participation (i.e. no participant may take the survey more than once).
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Acrophobia (Fear of Heights) | Comparison of pre-exposure scores to scores from the follow-up survey one week after exposure | Assessed using the Acrophobia Questionnaire (AQ) Anxiety Subscale |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Valance | Comparison of pre-exposure scores to scores from the follow-up survey one week after exposure | Self-report measure of how participant feels about experiencing high-height environments. |
| Height-Relevant Interpretations | Comparison of pre-exposure scores to scores from the follow-up survey one week after exposure | Assessed using the Heights Interpretation Questionnaire (HIQ) |
Countries
United States
Contacts
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORLaura Long, PhD
Boston University
Outcome results
None listed