TY - JOUR
T1 - Does owning a “fatter” virtual body increase body anxiety in college students?
AU - Ferrer-Garcia, Marta
AU - Porras-Garcia, Bruno
AU - González-Ibañez, Cristina
AU - Gracia-Blanes, Mireia
AU - Vilalta-Abella, Ferran
AU - Pla-Sanjuanelo, Joana
AU - Riva, Giuseppe
AU - Dakanalis, Antonios
AU - Achotegui-Loizate, José
AU - Talarn-Caparrós, Antoni
AU - Ribas-Sabate, Joan
AU - Andreu-Gracia, Alexis
AU - Díaz-Marsa, Marina
AU - Monràs-Arnau, Miquel
AU - Serrano-Troncoso, Eduardo
AU - Treasure, Janet
AU - Gutiérrez-Maldonado, José
PY - 2017
Y1 - 2017
N2 - This study aimed to assess the ability of a virtual reality (VR)-based software to produce body anxiety responses in a non-clinical sample. 23 college students (5 male) were exposed to an immersive VR environment displayed with an HMD, where the illusion of ownership of a virtual body was induced by means of visuomotor synchronization. Each participant was exposed to three body sizes (from first-person perspective and from third-person perspective reflected in a mirror placed in the virtual environment): an avatar with the same body measurements as the participant, an avatar 20% larger than the participant, and another avatar 40% larger than the participant. BMI, drive for thinness (EDI 3-DT) and body dissatisfaction (EDI3-BD) were assessed before exposure, while body anxiety (PASTAS), fear of gaining weight (Visual analogue scale [VAS], from 0 to 100) and ownership illusion (VAS from 0 to 100) were assessed after exposure to each avatar. Students reported significantly higher levels of body anxiety and fear of gaining weight after owning a 40% larger virtual body than after owning a virtual body with their real measurements. When body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness was considered, only participants with higher scores in these scales showed a significant increment of body anxiety and fear of weight gain after exposure to the largest avatar. BMI had no effect on the results. This study provides evidence of the usefulness of virtual body ownership illusions to provoke weight and body related anxiety responses in individuals worried about their weight and body image and opens the door to its therapeutic use in patients with anorexia nervosa.
AB - This study aimed to assess the ability of a virtual reality (VR)-based software to produce body anxiety responses in a non-clinical sample. 23 college students (5 male) were exposed to an immersive VR environment displayed with an HMD, where the illusion of ownership of a virtual body was induced by means of visuomotor synchronization. Each participant was exposed to three body sizes (from first-person perspective and from third-person perspective reflected in a mirror placed in the virtual environment): an avatar with the same body measurements as the participant, an avatar 20% larger than the participant, and another avatar 40% larger than the participant. BMI, drive for thinness (EDI 3-DT) and body dissatisfaction (EDI3-BD) were assessed before exposure, while body anxiety (PASTAS), fear of gaining weight (Visual analogue scale [VAS], from 0 to 100) and ownership illusion (VAS from 0 to 100) were assessed after exposure to each avatar. Students reported significantly higher levels of body anxiety and fear of gaining weight after owning a 40% larger virtual body than after owning a virtual body with their real measurements. When body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness was considered, only participants with higher scores in these scales showed a significant increment of body anxiety and fear of weight gain after exposure to the largest avatar. BMI had no effect on the results. This study provides evidence of the usefulness of virtual body ownership illusions to provoke weight and body related anxiety responses in individuals worried about their weight and body image and opens the door to its therapeutic use in patients with anorexia nervosa.
KW - Body anxiety
KW - Body ownership illusion
KW - Computer Science (miscellaneous)
KW - Neuroscience (miscellaneous)
KW - Psychology (miscellaneous)
KW - Rehabilitation
KW - Virtual reality
KW - Visuomotor synchronization
KW - Body anxiety
KW - Body ownership illusion
KW - Computer Science (miscellaneous)
KW - Neuroscience (miscellaneous)
KW - Psychology (miscellaneous)
KW - Rehabilitation
KW - Virtual reality
KW - Visuomotor synchronization
UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10807/119690
UR - http://www.arctt.info/
M3 - Article
SN - 1554-8716
VL - 15
SP - 147
EP - 153
JO - Annual Review of CyberTherapy and Telemedicine
JF - Annual Review of CyberTherapy and Telemedicine
ER -