How the physical similarity of avatars can influence the learning of emotion regulation strategies in teenagers

The aim of this study is to evaluate the influence of the physical similarity of avatars with the user on emotion regulation strategy training. In this study twenty-four teenagers observed an avatar (either physically similar to the participant or neutral) that gets frustrated with his/her computer, after which he/she applies an emotion regulation strategy (slow breathing). The intensity of the emotional induction and regulation processes was measured using questionnaires and electroencephalogram data. The results show that observing an avatar that is physically similar to the participant has a significantly greater impact on emotional valence and arousal in participants and also induces emotional states that are significantly more intense than when observing a neutral avatar. The results seem to indicate significantly greater activation of specific brain regions that are related to these processes and greater identification with the avatar in terms of both subjective and objective measures in participants that observed an avatar that was physically similar to them. However, there were no significant differences in the sense of presence or the appeal (i.e., satisfaction) to participants regarding the virtual environment. The use of avatars in mental health applications is relatively new and its specific influence is still unknown. We consider this study to be a first step forward in better understanding the use of avatars in mental health applications for youth. This research brings new guidelines to the design of different types of applications in this field in order to achieve greater behavioral changes in youth.Wrzesien, M.; Rodriguez Ortega, A.; Rey, B.; Alcañiz Raya, ML.; Banos, R.; Vara, M. (2015). How the physical similarity of avatars can influence the learning of emotion regulation strategies in teenagers. Computers in Human Behavior. 43:101-111. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2014.09.024S1011114

Aportaciones de las nuevas tecnologías combinadas con monitorización fisiológica en el campo de la regulación emocional

Tesis por compendio[EN] Emotional regulation strategies determine the way in which people feel, express and regulate their emotions. These regulation strategies affect all aspects of life. Currently, numerous scientific studies indicate the role that these regulation strategies play in the development and maintenance of adaptive and healthy behavior. On the other hand, deficiencies or deficits in emotional regulation are considered to be relevant factors in the origin and maintenance of numerous behavioral and emotional disorders. There are different instruments that have been traditionally used to train and evaluate emotional regulation capabilities. They are usually based on subjective questionnaires. Although these questionnaires have proven to be useful, they present some limitations that make them little suitable for certain groups who are especially reluctant to be assessed, such as adolescents. Currently, new systems based on man-machine interfaces, such as virtual reality and physiological sensors, are starting to be used for training emotional regulation strategies. The purpose of the research reported in this thesis is to address the issues related to the instruments used to train and evaluate the emotional regulation strategies. Specifically, the aim of this work is to study the combined use of virtual reality and serious games with non-invasive physiological monitoring in the emotional regulation field in adolescent population. For this reason, this document shows the results obtained from three studies, with three different virtual environments where participant were able to train different emotional regulation strategies while their cardiac signal or brain activation were recorded. The aim of this thesis is to make a contribution to the emotional regulation field providing a new research framework through the use of new technologies, such as virtual reality, and through more objective assessment instruments such as physiological signals.[ES] Las estrategias de regulación emocional determinan la forma en que las personas sienten, expresan y regulan sus emociones. Estas estrategias influyen prácticamente en todos los aspectos de la vida. En la actualidad existen numerosas investigaciones que destacan el papel que juegan estas estrategias de regulación emocional en el desarrollo y el mantenimiento de una conducta sana y adaptativa. Por el contrario, carencias o déficits en dichas estrategias de regulación pueden ser consideradas como un factor relevante en el origen y mantenimiento de numerosos trastornos emocionales y de comportamiento. Existen diversos instrumentos que se han utilizado tradicionalmente para evaluar las capacidades de regulación emocional y que están basados en cuestionarios subjetivos. Estos cuestionarios, aunque son muy útiles y prácticos, presentan algunas limitaciones que los hacen poco apropiados, sobre todo para ciertos colectivos que son especialmente reacios a ser evaluados, como podrían ser los adolescentes. Actualmente están empezando a usarse nuevos sistemas basados en tecnologías hombre-máquina, como pueden ser la realidad virtual y los sensores fisiológicos, para el entrenamiento de las estrategias de regulación emocional. La investigación presentada en esta tesis tiene como propósito abordar los aspectos relacionados con los instrumentos utilizados en el entrenamiento y en la evaluación de las estrategias de regulación emocional. Concretamente, el objetivo del presente trabajo es estudiar el uso combinado de la realidad virtual y los juegos serios con la monitorización fisiológica no invasiva en el campo de la regulación emocional en población adolescente. Para ello se presentan y se detallan los resultados obtenidos de tres estudios realizados, con tres entornos virtuales diferentes, donde los participantes pudieron entrenar diferentes estrategias de regulación emocional mientras se les registraban la señal cardíaca o la activación cerebral. Con la presente Tesis Doctoral se pretende hacer una contribución al campo de la regulación emocional, proporcionando un nuevo marco de investigación a través del uso de nuevas tecnologías como la realidad virtual y a través de instrumentos de evaluación más objetivos, como son las señales fisiológicas.[CA] Les estratègies de regulació emocional determinen la manera en què les persones senten, expressen i regulen les seves emocions. Aquestes estratègies influeixen pràcticament en tots els aspectes de la vida. En l'actualitat existeixen nombroses recerques que destaquen el paper que juguen aquestes estratègies de regulació emocional en el desenvolupament i el manteniment d'una conducta sana i adaptativa. Per contra, mancances o dèficits en aquestes estratègies de regulació poden ser considerats com un factor rellevant en l'origen i manteniment de nombrosos trastorns emocionals i de comportament. Existeixen diversos instruments que s'han utilitzat tradicionalment per avaluar les capacitats de regulació emocional i que estan basats en qüestionaris subjectius. Aquests qüestionaris, encara que són molt útils i pràctics, presenten algunes limitacions que els fan poc apropiats, sobretot per a certs col¿lectius que són especialment poc inclinats a ser avaluats, com podrien ser els adolescents. Actualment, estan començant a usar-se nous sistemes basats en tecnologies home-màquina, com pot ser la realitat virtual i els sensors fisiològics, per a l'entrenament de les estratègies de regulació emocional. La investigació presentada en aquesta tesi té com a propòsit abordar els aspectes relacionats amb els instruments utilitzats en l'entrenament i en l'avaluació de les estratègies de regulació emocional. Concretament, l'objectiu del present treball és estudiar l'ús combinat de la realitat virtual i els jocs seriosos amb el monitoratge fisiològic no invasiu en el camp de la regulació emocional en població adolescent. Per a això, es presenten i es detallen els resultats obtinguts de tres estudis realitzats, amb tres entorns virtuals diferents, on els participants van poder entrenar diferents estratègies de regulació emocional mentre se'ls registraven el senyal cardíac o l'activació cerebral. Amb la present Tesi Doctoral es pretén fer una contribució al camp de la regulació emocional, proporcionant un nou marc de investigació a través de l'ús de noves tecnologies com la realitat virtual i a través d'instruments d'avaluació més objectius, com són els senyals fisiològics.Rodríguez Ortega, A. (2015). Aportaciones de las nuevas tecnologías combinadas con monitorización fisiológica en el campo de la regulación emocional [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/51588TESISCompendi

User-Centered Virtual Reality for Promoting Relaxation: An Innovative Approach

[EN] Virtual reality has been used effectively to promote relaxation and reduce stress. It is possible to find two main approaches to achieve such aims across the literature. The first one is focused on genetic environments filled with relaxing "narratives" to induce control over one's own body and physiological response, while the second one engages the user in virtual reality-mediated activities to empower his/her own abilities to regulate emotion. The scope of the present contribution is to extend the discourse on VR use to promote relaxation, by proposing a third approach. This would be based on VR with personalized content, based on user research to identify important life events. As a second step, distinctive features of such events may be rendered with symbols, activities or other virtual environments contents. According to literature, it is possible that such an approach would obtain more sophisticated and long-lasting relaxation in users. 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Relaxation with Immersive Natural Scenes Presented Using Virtual Reality. Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance, 88(6), 520-526. doi:10.3357/amhp.4747.2017Annemans, L., Redekop, K., & Payne, K. (2013). Current Methodological Issues in the Economic Assessment of Personalized Medicine. Value in Health, 16(6), S20-S26. doi:10.1016/j.jval.2013.06.008Annerstedt, M., Jönsson, P., Wallergård, M., Johansson, G., Karlson, B., Grahn, P., … Währborg, P. (2013). Inducing physiological stress recovery with sounds of nature in a virtual reality forest — Results from a pilot study. Physiology & Behavior, 118, 240-250. doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2013.05.023Baños, R. M., Botella, C., Alcañiz, M., Liaño, V., Guerrero, B., & Rey, B. (2004). Immersion and Emotion: Their Impact on the Sense of Presence. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 7(6), 734-741. doi:10.1089/cpb.2004.7.734Hoffman, H. G., Patterson, D. R., Soltani, M., Teeley, A., Miller, W., & Sharar, S. R. (2009). Virtual Reality Pain Control during Physical Therapy Range of Motion Exercises for a Patient with Multiple Blunt Force Trauma Injuries. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 12(1), 47-49. doi:10.1089/cpb.2008.0056Baños, R. M., Botella, C., Guillen, V., García-Palacios, A., Quero, S., Bretón-López, J., & Alcañiz, M. (2009). An adaptive display to treat stress-related disorders: EMMA’s World. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 37(3), 347-356. doi:10.1080/03069880902957064Baños, R. M., Botella, C., Rubió, I., Quero, S., García-Palacios, A., & Alcañiz, M. (2008). Presence and Emotions in Virtual Environments: The Influence of Stereoscopy. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 11(1), 1-8. doi:10.1089/cpb.2007.9936Baños, R. M., Guillen, V., Quero, S., García-Palacios, A., Alcaniz, M., & Botella, C. (2011). A virtual reality system for the treatment of stress-related disorders: A preliminary analysis of efficacy compared to a standard cognitive behavioral program. 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A Youthful Metaverse: Towards Designing Safe, Equitable, and Emotionally Fulfilling Social Virtual Reality Spaces for Younger Users

Social virtual reality (VR) represents the modern rendition of the metaverse, this dissertation aims to fill the research gaps while highlighting trends of youth in VR. The scientific contributions of this research include 1) expanding the current HCI understanding of the social dynamics and the interactions of teens in emerging novel online digital spaces; 2) bridging two research areas that have not been widely studied in HCI, social VR and young users in social VR; and 3) generating design implications to inform the design of future social VR platforms to better support and protect teens’ online social experiences, results which may also apply to other emerging online socio-technical spaces such as augmented reality (AR) social interactions. In summary, this work presents one of the first empirical investigations into youth, immersive technology, and broader metaverse

MMORPG avatars: Representations of escapism in Chinese society based on semiotics of culture

The development of Internet technology and globalization have boosted the game industry, and among which Massive Multiplayer Online Role-playing Games (MMORPGs) provide a space where players could create their own avatar at will, and generate their physical and psychological involvement to participate in the virtual experience of the game context. Through cases with semiotics analysis and cultural phenomenon, the correlation between in-game avatar and escapism in Chinese context would be examined on how do in-game avatars connect with escapism in China. This highly resilient virtual social space provides a malleable field far from reality, for the transition from culture to nature, from reality to illusion, and from self to digital self. By analyzing the correlation and rooted reasons between in-game avatar in MMORPGs and escapism in Chinese social context, this project will contribute to the re-understanding of the symbolic meaning of in-game avatars and realistic meaning in Chinese society

Applied Cognitive Sciences

Cognitive science is an interdisciplinary field in the study of the mind and intelligence. The term cognition refers to a variety of mental processes, including perception, problem solving, learning, decision making, language use, and emotional experience. The basis of the cognitive sciences is the contribution of philosophy and computing to the study of cognition. Computing is very important in the study of cognition because computer-aided research helps to develop mental processes, and computers are used to test scientific hypotheses about mental organization and functioning. This book provides a platform for reviewing these disciplines and presenting cognitive research as a separate discipline