Virtual Reality Intervention for Speech Anxiety

The Influence of Mood on Response to Virtual Reality-Based Exposure for Public Speaking Anxiety

Exposure-based cognitive behavior therapy is an efficacious treatment for speech anxiety and has been delivered effectively in a virtual reality (VR) environment. The present study is designed to evaluate whether mood state moderates outcome to a brief VR exposure intervention.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Public Speaking; Speech Anxiety
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Exposure intervention plus positive mood induction; Behavioral: Exposure intervention plus negative mood induction

Detailed Description

The goal of this clinical trial is to compare outcomes of VR exposure therapy for college students with public speaking anxiety following a positive or negative mood induction. The overarching aim of the present study is to determine whether mood state prior to engaging in a brief VR exposure therapy session for public speaking anxiety impacts treatment outcomes.

The study involves three phases: (1) initial screening, (2) in-person assessment and brief exposure intervention for a subset of participants with elevated public speaking anxiety, and (3) a one-week follow-up assessment conducted online. Students who choose to participate and screen high on a public speaking anxiety scale will be assigned to a positive or negative mood induction condition prior to undergoing VR based exposure therapy. Public speaking and social anxiety outcomes are measured immediately post-intervention and one week later.

Researchers will compare participants given a positive mood induction to participants given a negative mood induction to see if public speaking anxiety outcomes differ.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 48
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Elias Culver; Phone Number: 2177190767; Email: emculver@bu.edu
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Michael Otto, PhD; Phone Number: 6173539610; Email: mwotto@bu.edu

Study Locations

• United States
  • Massachusetts
    • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02215
      • Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Self-report of 18 years of age or older
• Current student at Boston University
• Ability to read English to provide informed consent
• Familiarity with a computer keyboard and mouse or a touch screen device (e.g. phone, tablet).
• For Phase 2: speech anxiety scale score of ≥ 14 on the Personal Report of Communication Apprehension, Public Speaking Subscale (PRCA-PS)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Previous participation (i.e., no participant may take the survey more than once).

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Positive Mood Induction via positive film clips; The standardized procedures outlined in our laboratory's previously conducted study (Stathopoulou, Pollack, & Otto, 2018) will be followed. Participants will be presented with two brief film clips on a computer monitor or TV screen. These film clips were selected to elicit positive affect. As utilized in past lab study procedures, participants will be asked to: "Let yourself experience whatever emotions you have, as fully as you can. Don't try to hold back, or hold in, your feelings" (Stathopoulou, Pollack, & Otto, 2018). Together, the two film clips will last for approximately 5 minutes.	Behavioral: Exposure intervention plus positive mood induction; Positive mood induction followed by a brief VR exposure session for public speaking anxiety.
Experimental: Negative Mood Induction via negative film clips; The standardized procedures outlined in our laboratory's previously conducted study (Stathopoulou, Pollack, & Otto, 2018) will be followed. Participants will be presented with two brief film clips on a computer monitor or TV screen. These film clips were selected to elicit negative affect. As utilized in past lab study procedures, participants will be asked to: "Let yourself experience whatever emotions you have, as fully as you can. Don't try to hold back, or hold in, your feelings" (Stathopoulou, Pollack, & Otto, 2018). Together, the two film clips will last for approximately 5 minutes.	Behavioral: Exposure intervention plus negative mood induction; Negative mood induction followed by a brief VR exposure session for public speaking anxiety.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Public Speaking Anxiety	Assessed using the Personal Report of Communication Apprehension, Public Speaking Subscale (PRCA-PS)	Comparison of pre-exposure scores to scores from post-treatment, approximately 2 week post-screen

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Valence	Self-report measure of how participant feels about having to give a speech	Comparison of pre-exposure scores to scores from follow up survey, 1 week post-exposure
Social Phobia	Assessed using the social phobia inventory (SPIN)	Comparison of pre-exposure scores to scores from follow up survey, 1 week post-exposure
Public Speaking Anxiety	Assessed using the PRCA-PS	Comparison of pre-exposure scores to scores from follow up survey, 1 week post-exposure

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Boston University Charles River Campus
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Elias Culver, Boston University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): November 1, 2023
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 5, 2023
• Study Completion (Actual): December 5, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: October 2, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 11, 2023
• First Posted (Actual): October 17, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): December 13, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 7, 2023
• Last Verified: December 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Anxiety Disorders
• Other Study ID Numbers: 7164E

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No