Psychological Factors in XR

Due to the nature of alternate realities and the levels of immersion they can create, it is important to consider the psychological factors involved when using, assessing or designing these experiences.

Phobias

Real-life phobias carry over into Mixed and Virtual Reality. So, this should be taken into consideration when asking people to put on a headset and step into a virtual environment. If the person suffers from anxiety, PTSD, or has an extreme fear of heights, confined spaces or even large spaces, they may be adversely affected by the experience.

However, on the flip side, there is early scientific evidence suggesting that Virtual Reality is an effective way to treat these issues through exposure with the supervision of a psychiatric professional. The evidence for this benefit is not yet conclusive and will need more research over time.

Stress

Use care when creating experiences that may induce stress. When creating training simulations in which you intentionally induce stress as a necessary factor to test the ability to properly react in those situations, it is highly recommended to consult a psychiatric professional to ensure that the experience is not traumatizing to the users.

Delusion

Our perception of the world is constantly changing within our subconscious minds as information is gathered and processed, helping us to understand reality. Repeatedly exposing people to experiences that are extremely different from reality increases the risk of forming delusional beliefs and altering their understanding of reality. As such, Mixed Reality and Virtual Reality pose a potential for delusion if the experience is not designed responsibly and ethically.

Learn more

Gaming psychology

• The Gamer’s Brain by Celia Hodent

Perception

• Delusions and the Role of Beliefs in Perceptual Inference | Journal of Neuroscience
• Virtual Reality Therapy for Phobias
• The VR Book by Jason Jerald, Ph.D., Neuro-Linguistic Programming: Filters 7.9.3

If you enjoy these articles, consider supporting me on Patreon.

I’m an Immersive Tech UX Design Professional with over 22 years of experience designing for kiosks, websites, mobile apps and desktop software for many well-known and not-so-well-known companies.

I’m not speaking on behalf of or representing any company. These are my personal thoughts, experiences and opinions.

Psychological Factors in XR [Video]

Read More