Going beyond body exposure therapy. Presenting an innovative Virtual Reality and Eye-Tracking body-related attentional bias task

Abstract

The present study provides preliminary findings of an innovative body-related attentional bias modification task (ABMT) using Virtual Reality (VR) and Eye-tracking (ET) technologies. Analyses were carried out on a sample composed of college women (n = 35) who were divided into groups of those with high body dissatisfaction (n = 16) and those with low body dissatisfaction (n = 19). All participants were exposed to an immersive virtual environment in which they were embodied in a virtual body that resembled the measurements of their real body. Subjects performed the body-related attentional bias modification task for 20 minutes. Eating Disorder (ED) symptomatology disturbances and body-related attentional bias (AB) were measured before and after a single session of the VR ABMT. Results showed a significant (p<.05) reduction of fear of gaining weight after the intervention among women with high body dissatisfaction. Our results indicated promising evidence in favor of using this ABMT, particularly among women with high body dissatisfaction. In addition, the current research provides a new application of VR and ET technologies that might open a wide range of possibilities for designing and developing new body-related interventions among patients with EDs and women with body image disturbances.