Development of real-time self-focused attention measurement and virtual reality intervention system for social anxiety

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K14231
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 10030:Clinical psychology-related
• Research Institution: Tokyo Gakugei University (2023); Waseda University (2020-2022)
• Principal Investigator: Tomita Nozomi 東京学芸大学, 教育学部, 特任講師(Ⅰ種) (30823364)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 社交不安症 / 自己注目 / 視線計測 / バーチャル・リアリティ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study focused on the maintenance factor of social anxiety disorder, self-focused attention (SFA), and developed a virtual reality (VR) system to measure and intervene in SFA in real time using physiological information. Ecological momentary assessment clarified the necessity of incorporating stimuli like others' gazes into the VR environment. Based on this result, we developed a real-time SFA evaluation system using VR. A system that provides feedback on SFA through changes in VR visuals was also created, and a feasibility study was conducted.

Free Research Field

臨床心理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

眼球情報を用いた自己注目状態のリアルタイム評価法とフィードバック法を開発したことにより、社交不安者が自己注目を自覚できない状況でも、眼球情報を用いて自己注目を評価し、VRを活用したオペラント学習によって自己注目を低減できる可能性が期待できる。また、複数の基礎研究を通じて、自己像、他者の視線、メタ認知的信念など、自己注目の発生要因や維持要因が明らかにされ、学術的にも重要な知見が得られた。