Virtual Reality has already been proven as a useful supplementary treatment tool for anxiety disorders. However, no specific technological importance has been given so far on how to apply Virtual Reality with a way that properly stimulates the phobic stimulus and provide the necessary means for lifelike experience. Thanks to technological advancements, there is now a variety of hardware that can help enhance stronger emotions generated by Virtual Reality systems. This study aims to evaluate the feeling of presence during different hardware setups of Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy, and, particularly how the user's interaction with those setups can affects their sense of presence during the virtual simulation. An acrophobic virtual scenario is used as a case study by 20 phobic individuals and the Witmer-Singer presence questionnaire was used for presence evaluation by the users of the system. Statistical analysis on their answers revealed that the proposed full body Motion Recognition Cameras system generates a better feeling of presence compared to the Hand Controllers system. This is thanks to the Motion Recognition Cameras, which track and allow display of the user's entire body within the virtual environment. Thus, the users are enabled to interact and confront the anxiety-provoking stimulus as in real world. Further studies are recommended, in which the proposed system could be used in Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy trials with acrophobic patients and other anxiety disorders as well, since the proposed system can provide natural interaction in various simulated environments.
Keywords: acrophobia; anxiety disorders; cognitive behavioral therapy; exposure therapy; hand controllers; immersion; motion recognition camera; motion tracking sensor; presence; specific phobias; virtual reality.