Clinical Research Directory
Browse clinical research sites, groups, and studies.
Enhancing Generalization of Virtual Reality Exposure for Public Speaking Anxiety
Sponsor: Philipps University Marburg
Summary
This randomized controlled trial examines whether imagery-based extinction memory updating following a standardized virtual reality (VR) exposure session improves the generalization of exposure effects to novel public speaking contexts. Individuals with elevated public speaking anxiety will complete a single-session VR speech exposure. Participants are randomized to (a) standard mental rehearsal of the exposure experience or (b) mental rehearsal plus guided imagery that updates the extinction memory with novel, non-exposed contexts. Generalization is assessed 7-14 days later using a multi-context behavioral approach test (BAT) in vivo and in VR.
Official title: Enhancing Generalization of Virtual Reality Exposure for Public Speaking Anxiety Via Imagery-Based Extinction Memory Updating: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
18 Years - 70 Years
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
48
Start Date
2025-11-26
Completion Date
2026-12
Last Updated
2026-01-09
Healthy Volunteers
No
Interventions
VR Exposure
6 VR speech exposure trials (3 min each; topic: "something you are proud of")
Standard Mental Rehearsal
Post-exposure guided imagery: vivid mental rehearsal of the same exposure experience in the same VR contexts (brief, ≤30s each)
Mental Rehearsal With Extinction Memory Updating
Post-exposure guided imagery: vivid rehearsal of the exposure experience while updating the extinction memory with novel, non-exposed contexts (e.g., speaking to three real listeners; speaking in a new VR context with a larger audience). Brief, ≤30s each
Locations (1)
Department of Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg
Marburg, Hesse, Germany