About this Research Topic

Background

Immersive Virtual Reality (VR) technology allows users to experience realistic virtual scenarios that might be too difficult, daunting, or implausible to experience in real life. This aspect of VR has been used to great effect when treating anxiety disorders or phobias, as well as investigating interpersonal and social behaviour. Virtual reality has been previously used, for instance, to enhance self-efficacy, self-motivation, and well-being in the workplace, as well as to reduce apathy in geriatric care, among other applications. Embodiment over a virtual body and its influence on cognition, behaviour, and perceptions further reveal underlying behavioural or emotional attributes such as biases and empathy. As VR gains mainstream popularity, with over 11 million headsets sold just in the last year, it is important to understand the significance of the technology in terms of understanding and improving the ‘self’.

With the ease of access to the technology, it is a great opportunity to engage in experimental research and development towards relatively low-cost, automated alternatives to traditional forms of self-improvement. These may include developing interventions to foster psychological health such as decreasing anxiety or depression, looking into paradigms for positive psychology such as self-compassion, innovative methods for tackling phobias, and even learning and transferring new skills to the real world, related to education, music, sport, and language. One of the most prolific applications of VR has been related to tackling anxiety disorders with respect to, for example, heights, spiders, and public speaking. However, with improvement in hardware in terms of visual fidelity, body, face, and eye tracking, as well as progress with developing automated systems and avatars, it would be beneficial to explore new approaches in terms of technology advancements and their impact. More specifically, VR can be used not only to replicate or augment traditional approaches but also to lead to unique and novel approaches (while still ensuring ethical standards).

We invite submissions from authors exploring approaches towards improving the ‘self’ using VR or augmented reality (or generally in XR). Submissions may include experimental research studies, systematic reviews, and conceptual contributions towards technology-based approaches to psychological interventions. Considering the novelty of such topics and the need for a generalised understanding of the underlying mechanisms, we also encourage authors to conduct replications of previous studies in the field.

Possible themes for submission to this topic include, but are not limited to:
- Evaluating real-world learning of a skill based on training in a VR environment - Could be related for example to sport, language, music, or similar activities.
- Innovative techniques for tackling phobias - These could include replication and use of emerging technology such as AI/ML, natural language processing, and automated agent behaviour, in order to deliver automated treatment.
- VR-based interventions for tackling mental health issues, including novel approaches for reducing stress, anxiety, and depression.
- Original research could look to further enhance mental well-being using positive psychology with VR. E.g., Explore experiences that foster positive psychological health through gratitude, mindfulness, and/or meditation-based interventions for the non-clinical population.
- Experimental studies with understudied or vulnerable populations such as older adults or young adults in relation to contexts such as ageing anxiety, body image, or bullying.
- Systematic reviews of existing literature in the field, including a discussion of commercially available applications, their impact, and safeguards needed when developing experiences for commercial
purposes.
- Discussion of generalised frameworks for implementing technology-mediated interventions for self-improvement from a psychological perspective.
- Exploration of ethical considerations in terms of participants’ mental health and the type of virtual experiences.

Keywords: virtual reality, self improvement, mental health, wellbeing, phobias, intervention-based research, skill learning

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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