In psychological patients, too much self-criticism can lead to treatments being less effective and their effect to lag behind. On the other hand, it appears that patients with more self-compassion are more resilient, which benefits the recovery and effectiveness of psychological treatments.
This means that innovative techniques and interventions, aimed at self-criticism and self-compassion, can be of added value. Virtual Reality (VR) is such an innovative technology that can add value to psychological treatments.
VR in psychological treatments
The VR application whose operation now investigated is going to be consists of two exercises. It is being investigated whether and how these exercises can help in the development of more self-compassion psychological patients. The researchers will map out whether these exercises contribute to a greater understanding of the participant for themselves. In addition, they also want to know whether the option to switch perspectives in the VR exercise has added value.
One of the characteristics of psychological patients who are more self-critical is that they measure with double standards. They are often stricter and more critical of themselves than others. Using VR roleplay, a person can assess what their reaction will be if a friend has the same negative thought about themselves.
In the second VR exercise that is investigated, a participant chooses a virtual person who expresses their own self-criticism. Dismissing this critic, or entering into a discussion with him, can create a more nuanced image with more self-compassion in the participant.
Switch perspective
In both exercises it is possible to virtually switch perspectives – to reverse the roles – so that self-compassion can be stimulated. At the same time, the degree of self-criticism can then decrease. Within VR, the switching of perspective as applied in these VR exercises is a relatively new technique that can be of added value for psychological treatments.
Another big advantage of using VR is the fact that an already performed role-playing game can be replayed. This allows the participant to experience himself / herself from the perspective of another. This is not possible in role plays within existing psychological treatment.
Opening event 2021
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