The Validity of Virtual Environments for Eliciting Emotional Responses in Patients with Eating Disorders and in Controls

Autor/inn/en	Ferrer-Garcia, Marta; Gutierrez-Maldonado, Jose; Caqueo-Urizar, Alejandra; Moreno, Elena
Titel	The Validity of Virtual Environments for Eliciting Emotional Responses in Patients with Eating Disorders and in Controls
Quelle	In: Behavior Modification, 33 (2009) 6, S.830-854 (25 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0145-4455
DOI	10.1177/0145445509348056
Schlagwörter	Aquatic Sports; Computer Simulation; Eating Disorders; Recreational Facilities; Patients; Virtual Classrooms; Dining Facilities; Depression (Psychology); Anxiety; Control Groups; Emotional Response; Food; Validity; Evaluation Methods + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Water sports; Water sport; Wassersport; Computergrafik; Computersimulation; Appetite disorder; Essstörung; Freizeiteinrichtung; Patient; Mensa; Angst; Emotionales Verhalten; Lebensmittel; Gültigkeit
Abstract	This article explores the efficacy of virtual environments representing situations that are emotionally significant to patients with eating disorders (ED) to modify depression and anxiety levels both in these patients and in controls. Eighty-five ED patients and 108 students were randomly exposed to five experimental virtual environments (a kitchen with low-calorie food, a kitchen with high-calorie food, a restaurant with high-calorie food, a restaurant with low-calorie food, and a swimming-pool) and to one neutral environment. In the interval between the presentation of each situation, anxiety and depressed mood were assessed. Results of several repeated measures analyses demonstrated that patients show higher levels of anxiety and a more depressed mood after eating, especially high-calorie food, and after visiting the swimming pool than in the neutral room. In contrast, controls only show higher levels of anxiety in the swimming pool. In the rest of the situations they presented a similar mood state as in the neutral room. We concluded that virtual reality is a useful vehicle for eliciting similar emotional reactions to those one would expect in real life situations. Thus, this technology seems well suited for use in experimental studies as well as in evaluative and therapeutic contexts. (Contains 4 tables and 3 figures.) (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10