Evaluation of the effectiveness of a projection-based augmented reality exposure treatment system and study of attentional biases in cockroach phobia using eye tracking.

Abstract

This thesis primarily aims to assess the effectiveness of a projection-based augmented reality exposure therapy (P-ARET) for treating cockroach phobia (CP) and to examine attentional biases (AB) in CP using eye-tracking technology. Chapter 1 presents a systematic review focused on AB measured by eye-tracking in specific phobias. Chapter 2 presents validation of a standardized set of animal images, including a representative number of cockroach images, and Chapter 3 reports the results of an experimental study comparing AB in CP versus healthy controls. Chapters 4 to 6 are focused on exploring the effectiveness of augmented reality (AR) exposure therapy. Specifically, chapter 4 presents a systematic review focused on the AR for anxiety disorders. Chapter 5 includes a randomized controlled trial (RCT) protocol comparing P-ARET to in vivo and wait-list control conditions, and Chapter 6 presents the preliminary results of this RCT including the assessment of AB change after exposure treatment.