Exploring social exclusion through immersive virtual reality: a qualitative comparison with the Cyberball paradigm in children and adolescents

Key Points

• Immersive virtual reality effectively simulates social exclusion scenarios for participants.
• Key emotional responses were evaluated, highlighting contrasts with the Cyberball paradigm.
• Qualitative comparisons reveal deeper insights into children's and adolescents' experiences with social exclusion.
• Findings suggest that virtual reality can enhance understanding of social exclusion effects, necessitating further exploration.