Virtual Reality Lab - Universitat de Barcelona

This study aimed to assess the ability of a virtual reality (VR)-based software to produce emotional responses in a non-clinical sample. Fifty participants (40 female and 10 male) were exposed to an immersive VR environment where the illusion of ownership of a virtual body was induced by means of visuotactile synchronous stimulation (experimental group) or asynchronous stimulation (control group). Each participant was exposed to three body sizes (from first-person perspective and from third-person perspective in front of a mirror): an avatar with the same body shape as the participant, an avatar 20% larger than the participant, another avatar 40% larger than the participant and again, an avatar with the same body shape as the participant. BMI, drive for thinness (EDI-2-DT), body dissatisfaction (EDI-2-BD and BIAS- BD) and body anxiety state and trait (PASTAS) were assessed before exposure.

After exposure to each avatar, fear of gaining weight (Visual analogue scale [VAS], from 0 to 100) and anxiety (VAS from 0 to 100),body anxiety state (PASTAS) and body dissatisfaction (BIAS-BD), were assessed. Students reported higher levels of anxiety, fear of gaining weight and body dissatisfaction after owning a 40% larger virtual body than after owning a virtual body with their real measurements. This study provides evidence of the usefulness of virtual body ownership illusions to provoke weight and anxiety responses and body image fluctuations in a non-clinical sample.