Using virtual reality to study the impact of audience size on cortisol responses to the Trier Social Stress Test

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Virtual Reality Trier Social Stress Test (VR-TSST) protocols have been shown to effectively elicit psychophysiological stress by having participants perform a speech and math task while viewing a virtual (non-present) audience. However, few studies have utilized VR technology to examine variables that would otherwise be difficult to manipulate in the lab. This study examined the impact of a large VR audience (i.e., 200 members) on the physiological (i.e., cortisol) and psychological responses of 140 individuals. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: an in-person (2-person) audience, VR 2-person audience, or a VR 200-person audience condition. Salivary cortisol was collected to assess physiological reactivity and recovery. Participants self-reported psychological responses to the TSST including stress, arousal, emotions, and perceptions of the audience. Results revealed that all conditions elicited stress reactivity. The VR 200-person condition resulted in greater cortisol concentrations and more negative affect than the small VR 2-person audience. Thus the effectiveness of a VR-TSST may be enhanced by the use of a larger virtual audience stimulus.