Title |
Embodying Compassion: A Virtual Reality Paradigm for Overcoming Excessive Self-Criticism
|
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Published in |
PLOS ONE, November 2014
|
DOI | 10.1371/journal.pone.0111933 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Caroline J. Falconer, Mel Slater, Aitor Rovira, John A. King, Paul Gilbert, Angus Antley, Chris R. Brewin |
Abstract |
Virtual reality has been successfully used to study and treat psychological disorders such as phobias and posttraumatic stress disorder but has rarely been applied to clinically-relevant emotions other than fear and anxiety. Self-criticism is a ubiquitous feature of psychopathology and can be treated by increasing levels of self-compassion. We exploited the known effects of identification with a virtual body to arrange for healthy female volunteers high in self-criticism to experience self-compassion from an embodied first-person perspective within immersive virtual reality. Whereas observation and practice of compassionate responses reduced self-criticism, the additional experience of embodiment also increased self-compassion and feelings of being safe. The results suggest potential new uses for immersive virtual reality in a range of clinical conditions. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom | 3 | 20% |
Italy | 2 | 13% |
Netherlands | 1 | 7% |
United States | 1 | 7% |
France | 1 | 7% |
Unknown | 7 | 47% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Members of the public | 10 | 67% |
Scientists | 3 | 20% |
Practitioners (doctors, other healthcare professionals) | 2 | 13% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Japan | 3 | <1% |
United Kingdom | 2 | <1% |
Indonesia | 1 | <1% |
Senegal | 1 | <1% |
Canada | 1 | <1% |
Netherlands | 1 | <1% |
Argentina | 1 | <1% |
United States | 1 | <1% |
Unknown | 411 | 97% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Ph. D. Student | 67 | 16% |
Student > Master | 64 | 15% |
Student > Bachelor | 55 | 13% |
Researcher | 48 | 11% |
Student > Doctoral Student | 26 | 6% |
Other | 68 | 16% |
Unknown | 94 | 22% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Psychology | 171 | 41% |
Computer Science | 31 | 7% |
Social Sciences | 19 | 5% |
Neuroscience | 16 | 4% |
Medicine and Dentistry | 15 | 4% |
Other | 59 | 14% |
Unknown | 111 | 26% |