When less is more: Investigating factors influencing the distraction effect of virtual reality from pain

in Frontiers in Pain Research (2022), 2

Investigating the role of individual differences in the hypoalgesic response to a virtual reality game: An exploratory analysis

Scientific Conference (2021, March)

Introduction: Virtual reality (VR) has been shown to be a powerful method of redirecting attention away from pain and is increasingly used in clinical settings as a therapeutic tool for pain treatment ... [more ▼]

Introduction: Virtual reality (VR) has been shown to be a powerful method of redirecting attention away from pain and is increasingly used in clinical settings as a therapeutic tool for pain treatment. Yet, little is known about the underlying factors that modulate the size of the hypoalgesic response to a VR game, such as cognitive load and inter-individual differences in self-reported pain-related cognitions, emotion regulation habits, gaming skills, and executive functions. Methods: 90 healthy participants played two versions of the VR game 'Subnautica', differing in cognitive load (low load vs. high load). In the low load condition, participants navigated along a predefined route. In the high load condition, participants additionally memorized a series of single digits presented along the route. Pain heat thresholds as well as psychophysiological measures (ECG, EDA) were recorded during a passive control condition (in VR) prior to, as well as during, the two interactive sessions. In addition, participants completed several psychological questionnaires and different executive functioning tasks prior to the VR sessions. Results: Pain thresholds were significantly higher in the two interactive VR sessions when compared to the passive control condition, whereas the cognitive load of the game had no effect on pain thresholds. Individual differences in pain-related cognitions, prepotent response inhibition abilities and the level of emotional awareness reported by female participants, but not the level of gaming skills, influenced the size of the hypoalgesic effect. Discussion: In line with a growing body of studies, we observed a robust hypoalgesic response to playing a VR game, highlighting once more the potential of VR as a tool for pain reduction. Importantly, the hypoalgesic effect was not dependent on the participants’ level of gaming skills or the cognitive load of the game, suggesting that the sensory properties of the VR game were sufficient to change the processing of pain. [less ▲]

Play the Pain Away: Pain Regulation and Attention in Virtual Reality

Scientific Conference (2020, May)

Virtual reality (VR) has been shown to be a powerful method to divert attention away from pain (Malloy & Milling, 2010). In an ongoing study (data collection will be finished in late December 2019 ... [more ▼]

Virtual reality (VR) has been shown to be a powerful method to divert attention away from pain (Malloy & Milling, 2010). In an ongoing study (data collection will be finished in late December 2019) healthy participants play the VR game Subnautica in two conditions (high vs. low cognitive load). Pain thresholds and psychophysiological measures are assessed during play to measure the distraction effect. Additionally, pain management will be compared to individual executive functions and attention investigated before playing. [less ▲]

Emotion Regulation Difficulties in Adolescents with ADHD and/or Dyslexia

Poster (2019, April 26)

Objectives: ADHD is commonly associated with emotion regulation (ER) problems. Although around 10-45% of adolescents with ADHD also present with specific learning disorders such as dyslexia, studies on ER ... [more ▼]

Objectives: ADHD is commonly associated with emotion regulation (ER) problems. Although around 10-45% of adolescents with ADHD also present with specific learning disorders such as dyslexia, studies on ER in dyslexia or comorbid cases of ADHD/dyslexia remain limited. The aim was to examine potential differences in ER abilities between 11 to 16-year-old adolescents diagnosed with ADHD, dyslexia as well as comorbid dyslexia/ADHD. Method: Preliminary data from an ongoing research project was analyzed for 3 diagnostic groups (AD(H)D: n=15; dyslexia: n=12; dyslexia/AD(H)D: n=9) paired on age (F<1, n.s.), gender (X2(2)=0.68, p=.71) and IQ (F<1, n.s.). ER was investigated experimentally using a frustration inducing task (Behavioral Indicator of Resiliency to Distress; BIRD; Lejuez et al., 2006) while assessing adolescents’ subjective positive and negative affect before and after the task (PANAS-C; Laurent et al., 1999). Additionally, adolescents completed questionnaires on alexithymia (AQC, Rieffe, Oosterveld & Terwogt, 2006) and difficulties in ER (DERS-SF; Kaufman et al., 2016). Results: Preliminary findings showed a significant effect of time (F(1,33)=6.46, p=.02, n2=.16) with higher negative affect reported after the task and a marginal diagnostic group effect (F(2,33)=3.05, p=.06, n2=.16) showing marginally higher negative affect for the comorbid group compared to the dyslexia group (p=.06). Marginally significant group differences (F(2, 33)=3.21, p=.05, n2=.16) also showed higher alexithymia scores for the comorbid group compared to the dyslexia group (p=.06) but alexithymia and post-task negative affect were not found to be correlated (r=.25, p=.13). No differences in self-reported ER difficulties were found (F(2,33)=2.52, p=.10, n2=.13) between the three diagnostic groups. Conclusion: These preliminary findings indicate that, compared to a single diagnosis of dyslexia, a dyslexia/ADHD comorbidity might potentially entail less developed ER skills. The ongoing data collection (bigger sample, control group) will help to further elucidate these tentative results in the future. [less ▲]

Comparing the efficacy of two frustration inducing tasks in the assessment of adolescent emotion regulation

Scientific Conference (2018, September)

In adolescence, adequate emotion regulation skills help to promote resilience and prevent the development of mental health problems. To fully understand these emotion regulation mechanisms, empirically ... [more ▼]

In adolescence, adequate emotion regulation skills help to promote resilience and prevent the development of mental health problems. To fully understand these emotion regulation mechanisms, empirically validated tools are needed to be able to effectively induce and assess frustration among adolescents in experimental settings. However, the differences between the already existing frustration eliciting tools and their use with different adolescent age groups are not well understood. The present study thus set out to test the efficacy of two non-verbal, frustration inducing tasks in adolescence, also evaluating potential age differences and relating them to the use of emotion regulation strategies. Two computerized distress tolerance tasks were employed, including the Behavioural Indicator of Resiliency to Distress (BIRD; Lejuez et al., 2006), requiring children to free a bird from its cage, and the Mirror Tracing Persistence Task (MPTP; Strong et al., 2003), originally designed for adults and consisting of retracing a star as if seen in a mirror. Their efficacy in inducing frustration was compared in a sample of 72 adolescents, split into two different age groups (11-13; 14-16). Adolescents’ emotion responses were assessed on a subjective level via self-report of their positive and negative affect before and after the task (PANAS-C; Laurent et al., 1999), physiologically via continuous heart rate monitoring using a Polar H7 chest strap and behaviourally by assessing adolescents’ persistence on the last level. Additionally, self-report questionnaires allowed to assess adolescents’ habitual use of reappraisal and suppression (ERQ-CA; Gullone & Taffe, 2012) as well as their use during the tasks (ERQ-state, Egloff et al., 2006). Due to their previous use with different populations, differences between the two tasks in terms of their effectiveness in inducing frustration in an adolescent sample were expected. Furthermore, age differences were hypothesized to impact the use of emotion regulation strategies and lead to higher emotion responses in the younger group. Task and age differences were analysed with analyses of variance and revealed higher heart rates (F(4,59)=5.061, p<.001, ηp2=.255) for the BIRD task as well as a tendency towards a shorter persistence on this task (F(1,68)=3.920, p=.052, ηp2= .055). No task differences were found regarding adolescents’ subjective emotional responding (F<1, n.s.), with both tasks being psychologically distressing (F(1,68)= 22.484, p<.001, ηp2=.248). As for age differences, although the younger adolescents reported a higher habitual use of suppression in general (t(70)= 2.072, p< .05, d=.489), no age differences were found in terms of the strategies they used on both tasks (all Fs<1,n.s.), nor in regards to emotional responding (all Fs<1,n.s.). Due to the similar self-reported psychological distress for both tasks, these findings allow to empirically validate their use in an adolescent population aged 11 to 16. The BIRD might be advocated for further use with adolescents as it led to higher heart rates and shorter persistence beyond the produced subjective frustration. Further studies using frustration eliciting tools should be aware of any potential differences in emotional responses that might be produced using different tasks and the implications this could have for the interpretation of findings. [less ▲]

Impact of the Time of Diagnosis on Dyslexic Adolescents' Self-efficacy beliefs

Poster (2017, September)

Aim: Most of the research on self-efficacy in children with specific learning disorders has focused on inter-group comparisons, showing that these children hold lower self-efficacy scores than their ... [more ▼]

Aim: Most of the research on self-efficacy in children with specific learning disorders has focused on inter-group comparisons, showing that these children hold lower self-efficacy scores than their normally developing peers. As these lower scores might be due to a reduced access to self-efficacy sources (Hampton & Mason, 2003), this small-scale study (N=18) aimed to investigate whether the time of diagnosis might modulate the access to these sources within a group of dyslexic adolescents, either diagnosed in primary or secondary school but paired on chronological age and duration of remedial training. Methods: Mixed methods were employed by using general as well as academic and social self-efficacy scales, complemented by semi-structured interviews investigating students’ understanding and acceptance of their dyslexia. Results: The findings showed that early-diagnosed students hold higher general and academic scores. Further analyses regarding students’ personal statements revealed a statistically significant association between time of diagnosis and understanding as well as tolerance of dyslexia, indicating that early-diagnosed adolescents, compared to their late-diagnosed peers, have a more cohesive understanding and more adequate representations of their reading disorder as specific and non-stigmatizing, all the while being more tolerant and open about announcing their dyslexia to others. Conclusions: An early diagnosis of dyslexia is thus associated with a better understanding and acceptance of the disorder, possibly serving as a protective factor which can consequently contribute to higher general and academic self-efficacy scores. Hence, these findings not only extend the literature on self-efficacy beliefs in dyslexia by investigating the time of diagnosis, but also have important practical implications, highlighting the significance of an early diagnosis beyond the benefits of early rehabilitation as well as the potentially negative psychological consequences of a late diagnosis. [less ▲]