Real-time Emotion Regulation in Virtual Reality: An Adaptive Experience using Breathing Biofeedback

Virtual reality has increasingly been integrated with biofeedback systems for treating affective states\r\nsuch as depression and anxiety. The implementation of stress exposure therapies that adapt in real-\r\ntime to individuals’ physiological signals improves patients’ ability to deal with real life stressors. This\r\nwork evaluates the effect of a real-time adaptive closed-loop system using breathing rate as a biofeed-\r\nback visual cue in an immersive, nature-based restorative virtual environment. Participants were\r\ndivided into two groups and exposed to a baseline condition and different stressors: two Stroop Color-\r\nWord tests and a restorative virtual reality exploration task in the Virtual Levada. Their physiological\r\nsignals (electrocardiography, electrodermal activity, and respiration) were recorded and subjective\r\nstress levels were annotated . The adaptive group received biofeedback based on their breathing rate,\r\nusing the field of view as a representation of their stress levels, which was adapted using rule-based\r\nchanges. Results revealed significant differences in physiological responses across experimental condi-\r\ntions. Specifically, the adaptive biofeedback group reported lower levels of stress during the immersive\r\nvirtual reality task compared to the Stroop tests, highlighting the restorative effect of the Virtual\r\nLevada. These findings suggest that real-time adaptive biofeedback systems, when integrated with\r\nrestorative elements, enhances users’ ability to regulate their stress responses