Key result
The Virtual Reality Trier Social Stress Test successfully induced social evaluative stress, producing similar emotional but slightly attenuated cardiovascular responses compared to the in vivo test.
Why the study?
A standardized virtual reality TSST was developed to overcome limitations of the in vivo TSST, but its emotional and physiological responses needed comparison to in vivo and control conditions.
Does a virtual reality Trier Social Stress Test (VR-TSST) produce similar emotional and physiological responses compared to an in vivo TSST?
Observational (n=178)
Does a virtual reality Trier Social Stress Test (VR-TSST) produce similar emotional and physiological responses compared to an in vivo TSST?
Social evaluative stress can be successfully induced in a virtual reality setting, producing similar emotional but slightly attenuated cardiovascular responses compared to in vivo testing.
VR-TSST offers a feasible alternative for stress induction; leaves open full equivalence for cardiovascular endpoints in research.
The Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) is a reliable social-evaluative stressor. To overcome limitations of the in vivo TSST, a standardized virtual reality TSST (VR-TSST) was developed. The present study compares the emotional (anxiety) and physiological (heart period and variability) response to a VR-TSST with an in vivo TSST and a control condition. Participants took part in either an in vivo TSST (N = 106, 64% female), VR-TSST (N = 52, 100% female), or a control TSST (N = 20, 40% female). Mixed linear modeling examined response profile differences related to TSST type. While there was an equivalent anxiety response to the in vivo TSST as the VR-TSST, we found a smaller heart period and heart rate variability response in VR-TSST compared to the in vivo TSST, especially in response to the math part of the test. The present findings demonstrate that social evaluative stress can be successfully induced in a VR setting, producing similar emotional and slightly attenuated cardiovascular responses.
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Fallon et al. (2021) conducted an observational in Social evaluative stress (n=178). Virtual reality Trier Social Stress Test (VR-TSST) vs. In vivo TSST and control TSST was evaluated on Emotional (anxiety) and physiological (heart period and variability) response. The Virtual Reality Trier Social Stress Test successfully induced social evaluative stress, producing similar emotional but slightly attenuated cardiovascular responses compared to the in vivo test.
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