Virtual reality service to Alleviate Performance Anxiety and Stage Fright – SpeakerVR, Case Study

Abstract

Utilizing Virtual Reality in alleviating performance anxiety contains significant possibilities and has been discovered to be a powerful tool and this kind of techniques and service may revolutionize treatment of alleviating performance anxiety and stage fright. This study examines techniques of alleviating Performance Anxiety and Stage Fright by Virtual Reality simulation. The study is conducted by tests and interviews. The study contains a design process to build the presented VR simulation and evaluation process, which contains interviews and pre-tests to develop the VR-simulation and the test-runs. This study has been driven by desire to understand the nature and possibilities of XR services and simulations in alleviating stress and anxiety. More accurately, in this study’s case, Stage Fright and Performance Anxiety and Stress related to public performance/speaking, are observed in the light of researching possibilities of alleviating the user by utilizing human technology interaction in conscious and possibly non-conscious levels by stimuli, which are supposed to have an effect through affecting users emotional state and through shorter time lasting emotions. The study presents design and development process of Virtual Reality (VR) Simulation, called SpeakerVR, which is a VR-service and simulation to alleviate/diminish users Stage Fright and Performance Anxiety and as well to help the user in the performing in front of an audience and evaluate and discuss about this kind of VR- simulation’s possibilities. Also, it discusses whether this kind of VR-simulation could become a powerful scientific research apparatus. In the study is presented a testing simulation which is based on SpeakerVR, VR-simulation. For the study, the SpeakerVR is built only with parts which are relevant for the study as the VR-simulations commercial version contains much more actions but is not scientifically observable as it has much happening at the same time and therefore, it’s not possible to understand which of actions triggered something measurable. The design process is multidisciplinary and to reach the goals set for the design and the study, the design and study processes are selected to contain elements from Psychology, Game and Internet studies, Human Computer Interaction, Game Design, Industrial Design, Human Cantered Design, Gamification and Psychiatry and their methodologies. Therefore, further in this study/document several techniques and phenomena are explained by utilizing multidisciplinary sources whenever suitable solution is found from any disciplinary but staying inside the delimitation of the study and design process.