Virtually Unexpected: No Role for Expectancy Violation in Virtual Reality Exposure for Public Speaking Anxiety
In the current study, we examined the role of expectancy violation and retrospective reasoning about the absence of feared outcomes in virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET). Participants fearful of public speaking were asked to give speeches in virtual reality. We asked each participant individual...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2019-12-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02849/full |
| _version_ | 1818445126274383872 |
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| author | Sara Scheveneels Yannick Boddez Yannick Boddez Tom Van Daele Dirk Hermans |
| author_facet | Sara Scheveneels Yannick Boddez Yannick Boddez Tom Van Daele Dirk Hermans |
| author_sort | Sara Scheveneels |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In the current study, we examined the role of expectancy violation and retrospective reasoning about the absence of feared outcomes in virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET). Participants fearful of public speaking were asked to give speeches in virtual reality. We asked each participant individually to report their expectancies about feared outcomes in public speaking situations and which of these could be tested in VRET. Each of the expectancies was categorized as being related to: (1) participants’ own reactions, (2) (overt) reactions of the audience, or (3) (covert) negative evaluation. We examined whether the proportion of testable expectancies could predict treatment outcome and which type of expectancies were evaluated as being more testable in VRET. Additionally, we experimentally manipulated retrospective reasoning about whether or not expectancies related to the overt reactions of the audience could be violated by providing verbal information after VRET about whether or not the virtual audience was interactive. A reduction in public speaking anxiety was observed from pre- to post-VRET. Treatment effects were, however, not predicted by the individually reported proportions of testable expectancies. Participants evaluated expectancies about their own reactions as being more testable in VRET compared to expectancies about reactions of the audience or about being negatively evaluated. In addition, we did not find evidence that the experimental manipulation regarding whether or not the audience was interactive influenced treatment effects. In conclusion, the results of the current study suggest that the effects of VRET are not univocally explained by the mechanism of expectancy violation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T19:26:52Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bb15fcb9db5e4ce8a2be344e89040d02 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T19:26:52Z |
| publishDate | 2019-12-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-bb15fcb9db5e4ce8a2be344e89040d022022-12-21T22:50:11ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782019-12-011010.3389/fpsyg.2019.02849489361Virtually Unexpected: No Role for Expectancy Violation in Virtual Reality Exposure for Public Speaking AnxietySara Scheveneels0Yannick Boddez1Yannick Boddez2Tom Van Daele3Dirk Hermans4Centre for the Psychology of Learning and Experimental Psychopathology, KU Leuven, Leuven, BelgiumCentre for the Psychology of Learning and Experimental Psychopathology, KU Leuven, Leuven, BelgiumDepartment of Clinical Psychology and Experimental Psychopathology, University of Groningen, Groningen, NetherlandsExpertise Unit Psychology, Technology & Society, Thomas More University of Applied Sciences, Antwerp, BelgiumCentre for the Psychology of Learning and Experimental Psychopathology, KU Leuven, Leuven, BelgiumIn the current study, we examined the role of expectancy violation and retrospective reasoning about the absence of feared outcomes in virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET). Participants fearful of public speaking were asked to give speeches in virtual reality. We asked each participant individually to report their expectancies about feared outcomes in public speaking situations and which of these could be tested in VRET. Each of the expectancies was categorized as being related to: (1) participants’ own reactions, (2) (overt) reactions of the audience, or (3) (covert) negative evaluation. We examined whether the proportion of testable expectancies could predict treatment outcome and which type of expectancies were evaluated as being more testable in VRET. Additionally, we experimentally manipulated retrospective reasoning about whether or not expectancies related to the overt reactions of the audience could be violated by providing verbal information after VRET about whether or not the virtual audience was interactive. A reduction in public speaking anxiety was observed from pre- to post-VRET. Treatment effects were, however, not predicted by the individually reported proportions of testable expectancies. Participants evaluated expectancies about their own reactions as being more testable in VRET compared to expectancies about reactions of the audience or about being negatively evaluated. In addition, we did not find evidence that the experimental manipulation regarding whether or not the audience was interactive influenced treatment effects. In conclusion, the results of the current study suggest that the effects of VRET are not univocally explained by the mechanism of expectancy violation.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02849/fullvirtual realityexposure therapyexpectancy violationanxietyretrospective reasoning |
| spellingShingle | Sara Scheveneels Yannick Boddez Yannick Boddez Tom Van Daele Dirk Hermans Virtually Unexpected: No Role for Expectancy Violation in Virtual Reality Exposure for Public Speaking Anxiety Frontiers in Psychology virtual reality exposure therapy expectancy violation anxiety retrospective reasoning |
| title | Virtually Unexpected: No Role for Expectancy Violation in Virtual Reality Exposure for Public Speaking Anxiety |
| title_full | Virtually Unexpected: No Role for Expectancy Violation in Virtual Reality Exposure for Public Speaking Anxiety |
| title_fullStr | Virtually Unexpected: No Role for Expectancy Violation in Virtual Reality Exposure for Public Speaking Anxiety |
| title_full_unstemmed | Virtually Unexpected: No Role for Expectancy Violation in Virtual Reality Exposure for Public Speaking Anxiety |
| title_short | Virtually Unexpected: No Role for Expectancy Violation in Virtual Reality Exposure for Public Speaking Anxiety |
| title_sort | virtually unexpected no role for expectancy violation in virtual reality exposure for public speaking anxiety |
| topic | virtual reality exposure therapy expectancy violation anxiety retrospective reasoning |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02849/full |
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