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Originalia

Biocyberpsychologie:

Published Online:September 01, 2006https://doi.org/10.1026/1616-3443.34.2.133

Abstract

Zusammenfassung. Eine erfolgreiche Angsttherapie (Exposition) geht einher mit der Aktivierung und Umstrukturierung von Furchtnetzwerken (Foa & Kozak, 1986). Aktivierung und Umstrukturierung zeigen sich in subjektiven und physiologischen Angstreaktionen, die im Verlauf der Exposition abnehmen. Um die Angstexpositionsbehandlung in der virtuellen Realität (VR) zu untersuchen, wurden in der vorliegenden Studie subjektive Angst sowie Herzraten- und Hautleitfähigkeitsreaktionen von Flugphobikern und Kontrollpersonen während vier virtueller Flüge hinsichtlich Aktivierungs- und Habituationseffekten analysiert. Flugphobiker zeigten erhöhte subjektive und physiologische Reaktionen. Zusätzlich wurden bei Flugphobikern und Kontrollpersonen differenzielle Reaktionen in spezifischen Flugphasen sowie eine Habituation der Angst und der Herzratenreaktion während der vier VR-Flüge gefunden. Virtuelle Flüge aktivieren also die Furchtnetzwerke bei Flugphobikern und sind daher als Test für die Diagnose von Flugphobie sowie zur Expositionsbehandlung anwendbar. Durch die subjektive Angstreaktion und die Herzratenreaktion scheint eine Prognose des Therapieerfolgs möglich.


Biocyber psychology: subjective and physiological reactions in flight phobics and normal subjects during flight simulations

Abstract. An effective treatment of anxiety (exposure) is assumed to be accompanied by an activation and reorganization of fear networks (Foa & Kozak, 1986). Activation and reorganization are reflected in subjective and physiological fear reactions, which habituate during exposure. To investigate virtual reality (VR) exposure therapy, the present study analyzed subjective fear as well as heart rate and skin conduction reactions of flight phobics and control subjects for activation and habituation during four virtual flights. Flight phobics displayed enhanced subjective and physiological fear reactions. Additionally, flight phobics and controls showed specific fear reactions associated with specific flight phases and a habituation of fear and heart rate across the four virtual flights. We conclude that virtual flights activate the fear networks flight phobics and are therefore useful for the diagnosis of flight phobia and for exposure therapy. Fear and the heart rate reactions during VR exposure seem to predict treatment outcome.

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