What is the Purpose of the Study?
The current study explores the feasibility of a nature-based VR system for improving distress and negative affect symptoms typically reported by older and younger adults. Specifically, the current study aims to assess whether age-related differences exist between older and younger adults after a single session of VR nature-based experience.
Physiological measures of stress (i.e., heart rate variability, HRV), self-reported measures of distress, positive and negative affect, state anxiety, digital self-efficacy, motivation toward physical activity/leisure time, and self-reported relaxation levels will be measured. This study will also focus on some usability-based measures including cybersickness levels, presence, and usability of the VR system. Lastly, accessibility measures regarding the amount of time, resources, and number of adaptations needed to train both groups through the different stages of the VR intervention.
Who is Eligible to Participate?
You can volunteer for this study if you:
Are an adult between 18 and 40 years old OR between 60-90 years old
Have self-reported anxiety, low mood, or stress symptoms
Your participation will involve a 10-minute pre-screening and 2 in-person meetings at a convenient location. The pre-screening is a standard demographics questionnaire. For the 1st meeting, participants complete a basline assessment and sign a consent form which takes approximately 30 minutes. For the 2nd meeting, participants complete the pre-assessment followed by the VR intervention and the post-assessment, which takes approximately 3.5 hours. Altogether, a total time commitment of 4 hours.
Study Title: Nature Exposure Through Virtual Reality (NET-VR): in older adults and young adult students.
Is Compensation Available?
No monetary compensation is available for this study
PI: Rocio Chang, M.A., Psy.D.
For more information, contact: Rocio Chang, M.A., Psy. D. at chang@uchc.edu