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Abstract The study of emotion regulation (ER) has emerged as a major field within psychology; in parallel, immersive virtual reality (IVR) is increasingly used to deliver both simulation training and therapeutic interventions. Lately, these fields have begun to merge, with IVR used to train ER skills. In order to realize the potential of combining IVR and ER, this research provides an overview of the field, the contexts in which IVR and its technological affordances have been used, and the empirical outcomes of the reviewed studies. It is the first work to address this issue, highlighting several gaps in the extant literature and presenting an agenda for future research. Results show that IVR has been employed in relatively narrow contexts, primarily focused on therapeutic implementations replicating the real world. While IVR does not always significantly differ from standard treatment, all reviewed studies supported its potential to positively affect participants. Numerous benefits of IVR use are highlighted, including its customizability, controllability, privacy, accessibility, and attractiveness. Furthermore, game-based IVR offers promising future potential for more engaging and innovative user experiences. Finally, a recent increase of publications in the field, combined with more varied uses of IVR and its affordances, indicate a broadening of the field.
Macey et al. (Wed,) studied this question.