Researchers at the University of Basel have developed an augmented reality app for smartphones to reduce fear of spiders. The app has already proven its worth in a clinical study: After just a few training sessions at home, the test subjects felt less afraid of real spiders.
Arachnophobia triggers panic, disgust and a racing heart when sufferers see a spider. If they expose themselves to real eight-legged creatures under the supervision of experts, the fear can be alleviated. Researchers led by Basel neuroscientist Dominique de Quervain are now focussing on a harmless but real-looking virtual spider that appears in the real world using augmented reality (AR).
The interdisciplinary research team led by Prof Dr Dominique de Quervain has found a remedy and developed the smartphone-based augmented reality app Phobys. In the "Journal of Anxiety Disorders", the researchers report promising results with this app against spider phobia.
Phobys is based on exposure therapy and uses a realistic 3D spider model that is projected into the real world. "For people who are afraid of spiders, it is easier to expose themselves to a virtual spider than a real one," explains Anja Zimmer, first author of the study.
Effectiveness tested in study
Zimmer and her colleagues investigated the effectiveness of Phobys in a clinical study with 66 test subjects. The study participants suffering from arachnophobia either completed six half-hour training sessions with Phobys over a two-week period or were offered no intervention as a control group. Before and after the treatment, the study participants approached a real spider in a transparent box to the extent permitted by their fear of spiders. The group that had trained with Phobys showed significantly less fear and disgust in the real spider situation and was able to get closer to the spider than the control group.
The Phobys app offers nine different levels to get closer to the virtual spider and interact with it. With each level, the tasks become more intense and therefore more difficult. Each level ends with an assessment of your own fear and disgust, and the app decides whether the level should be repeated or can be progressed to the next. The app also uses playful elements such as rewarding feedback, animations and sound effects to keep motivation high.
Phobys is available in the app stores
With the help of GeneGuide AG (MindGuide division), a spin-off company from the University of Basel, the app has been further developed and is now available in the app stores for iPhones and Android smartphones. People with mild forms of spider anxiety can use the app on their own. For people with a pronounced fear of spiders, the researchers recommend using the app only when accompanied by a specialist. You can test whether you are afraid of a virtual spider in the app free of charge. Training to reduce arachnophobia can be purchased in the app.
Source: MM
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