ABSTRACT. Concerns around cybersecurity are increasing globally, and previous research has emphasized the human factors that contribute to cybersecurity risks. However, cultural differences have been understudied in this context. With individuals’ behaviors and perceptions shaped by both psychological factors and collective norms, this is an important area for further investigation. This study examined the role of cultural values (using Schwartz’s Theory of Basic Values), perceived vulnerability and security self-efficacy (linked to Protection Motivation Theory), alongside demographic variables as predictors of cybersecurity behaviors among individuals in the United Kingdom (n=201) and Saudi Arabia (n=211). Participants completed an online survey. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis indicated that demographic variables (gender, country and age) explained 8.7% of the variance in cybersecurity scores, which increased to 43.2% of variance explained with the inclusion of the main study variables. Results showed that cultural values linked to lower self-enhancement (and higher self-transcendence) as well as perceived vulnerability and security self-efficacy predicted cybersecurity behaviors among individuals across distinct cultural contexts. Females also engaged in higher cybersecurity behaviors overall. The findings are important in showing the relative importance of both cultural and psychological factors in relation to cybersecurity, which has implications for informing more relevant intervention and prevention strategies.

ABSTRACT. People who strongly identify themselves with all humanity feel connected to people all over the world, perceive them as members of their own group, and care for them. In the current paper we are interested in investigating the correlations of using Online social media (OSM) for global knowledgy.

We collected data from (N=227 Saudi Arabia participants). The data collected via an online survey. Participants were asked how much they used social media (Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, etc.) follow up on current events locally and pay attention to issues of Saudi society, and to follow up on current events globally and keep up with world issues. We also measured their Identification With All Humanity (IWAH) with subscales of citizen bonding, concern humanity bonding, humanity concern, people bonding, and people concern, as well as human rights, global concern, sustain goals willingness, and sustain goals actions.

We conducted two Pearson’s correlations to discover which factors correlated with Saudi participants’ use of social media to keep abreast of both local and global events. We found that only global concern was correlated with social media related to local issues. Saudi participants’ use of social media to track global events however was also correlated with global concern, but also with human rights, sustain goals actions, and citizens concern. Further findings will be discussed.

ABSTRACT. 1.Introduction: Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most widespread conditions affecting up to 80% of individuals worldwide (Urits et al., 2019). Studies have shown that individuals who suffer from LBP often experience negative body image due to the limitations on their body functionality which can further exacerbate the negative effects of the pain (Levenig et al., 2019). Body image (BI) refers to people’s attitudes, perceptions, and thoughts about their bodies, yet research has largely focused on the negative aspects of BI while ignoring its positive components (Guest et al., 2022). A crucial component of positive BI is body functionality, which includes physical abilities, internal processes, senses, creativity, and communication with others (Alleva & Tylka, 2020). Research has shown that interventions focused on the appreciation of body functionality (ABF) can help improve BI in patients with pain (Alleva et al., 2018; Guest et al., 2019). Additionally, following the positive embodiment theory, activities like yoga and physical exercise can also increase ABF by directing practitioners’ attention to what their bodies can accomplish (Munroe, 2022). Virtual Reality (VR) is an effective tool for managing pain. Among other effects, VR has been used in people with LBP for redirecting attention away from the pain by replacing their “damaged” bodies with healthy ones by using avatars (Tack, 2019). VR has also been used to provide training to individuals with pain in different body regions, including the LBP, for improving BI and pain management (Harvie et al., 2020; Alemanno et al., 2019). However, interventions promoting positive BI in patients with chronic and acute LBP are still scarce. Therefore, the objective of this study is to present the development of a VR program for enhancing ABF and evaluate its acceptability, satisfaction, and potential negative side effects.

Hypotheses: - Participants will show an improvement in the ABF after the use of the VR program. - Participants will perceive high levels of satisfaction and acceptance, and will not report any negative side effects after the use of the VR program.

2.Methodology 2.1 Participants The sample will include 10 participants with LBP (acute LBP = 5, chronic LBP = 5) that will evaluate the VR program.

2.2 Study design The VR program will consist of a variety of exercises designed to enhance participants' ABF. For instance, the program will involve interaction with the VR environment and will present participants with two types of sentences - one promoting positive ABF and the other referring to negative body functionality. Positive feedback will be given when participants direct their gaze towards positive ABF stimuli, while negative feedback will be provided if they focus on negative stimuli. Each exercise will target a specific construct within ABF, helping participants to develop a more positive BI.

2.3 Measurements Participants will fulfil Body Appreciation Scale (Tylka & Wood-Barcalow, 2015) before and after the use of VR. Additionally, the following measures will be administered after the use of VR: Cybersickness Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ; Kennedy et al., 1993); Acceptability Credibility Expectancy Questionnaire (CEQ; Borkovec & Nau 1972); Satisfaction with the VR program (ad-hoc measurement)

3. Expected results: We anticipate that the VR-based program will lead to an increase in ABF levels among participants and that they will respond positively to it, expressing good levels of satisfaction and acceptance while experiencing few or no negative side effects. Should the program prove effective, it would provide healthcare professionals with an effective, innovative, and valuable resource for treating individuals with LBP.

ABSTRACT. To assess and characterize the different facets of human cognition is a complex challenge with numerous applications. Current assessment tools have limited facility for making ecologically valid predictions; they are based on explicit measures, such as self-report questionnaires, interviews, and projective measures. Effects such as social desirability, data interpretation, and subject knowledge can negatively affect the reliability and validity of these techniques. One of the challenges to be faced in the development of a performance-based methodology to measure cognitive cognition is how to generate real-life situations with triggers that allow us to study the different cognitive dimensions under controlled laboratory conditions. A way to address this question is to take advantage of Extended Reality (XR) to recreate real-life situations that might arise in performance-based assessments. More concretely, it is possible to obtain biomarkers for human cognition classification using a computational psychology paradigm based on implicit brain processes measured through psychophysiological signals and behavior of subjects while exposed to complex social conditions replicas using virtual reality interfaces. This lead to a new conceptualization of biomarkers that we have named XR-based Behavioral Biomarkers or XRBB. In this talk, we introduce the concept of XRBB and present several examples of how XRBB can be used for human cognition assessment. We describe different research projects' results and we conclude with a discussion of potential future implications.

ABSTRACT. Introduction. The presence of body-related dysfunctional attentional bias (AB) may be responsible for reducing the effectiveness of virtual reality (VR)-based mirror exposure therapy (MET), which has been proposed as an effective treatment for anorexia nervosa (AN). Patients with AN who may tend to focus more on weight-related body parts and ignore non-weight-related body parts could benefit less from MET because avoiding looking at the most anxiety-producing body parts can interfere with habituation. Attentional bias modification training (ABMT) is an effective technique to reduce AB by altering selective attention patterns. Our ABMT is based on a combination of VR and eye-tracking (ET) to reduce body-related AB in patients with AN by balancing attention between weight-related body parts and non-weight-related body parts. Method. This multiple-case study provides evidence of the usefulness of incorporating ABMT into VR and ET-based MET to improve its efficacy in the treatment of four female adolescents with AN. Over five exposure sessions, using a VR head-mounted display (HTC ® VIVE Pro Eye) with an integrated ET device (Tobii ®), patients were immersed in a virtual environment and were embodied in a real-size body virtual avatar reflected in a mirror that gradually increased body mass index (BMI) until reaching a healthy BMI in the last session. In every session, the participants completed the ABMT followed by the MET. BMI, body dissatisfaction (BD), drive for thinness (DT), weight-related body parts anxiety (WBA), body checking behaviours (BCB) and body appreciation (BA) were assessed before and after the overall intervention. Full body ownership illusion (FBOI), fear of gaining weight (FGW) and anxiety (ANX) were assessed in each of the treatment sessions, as well as before and after the overall intervention. The reliable changes index (RCI) for single cases was calculated for the post-assessment measurements only for the measures with clinical and community means and standard deviations, provided by the sources for each measure: BD, DT, WBA, BCB and BA. An RCI>1.96 denotes a statistically significant difference. Results. Patient 1 showed a significant reduction in BD, DT, WBA, and BCB and a significant increase in BA. Across all sessions, this patient maintained a medium-high level of FBOI and a very high level of FGW and ANX. Patient 2 showed a significant reduction in WBA and a very slight non-significant improvement in BD, BA and BCB. There was no change in DT. From the 4th treatment session onwards FBOI levels increased and FGW and ANX levels decreased. Patient 3 showed a very slight non-significant improvement in BD, DT, WBA, BA and BCQ. This patient showed very low FBOI levels, high ANX levels (except in the last session) and very high levels of FGW during all sessions. Patient 4 showed a significant improvement in BD, DT and BA and a non-significant improvement in BCB. The level of WBA pre-treatment was zero and this was maintained even post-treatment. A medium-high level of FBOI and absence of ANX were maintained across all sessions, while FGW levels decreased from the 4th treatment session onwards. The BMI of the participants increased slightly over the sessions (except for patient 1 whose BMI decreased slightly) but did not reach the minimum healthy weight for any patient. Conclusion. This augmentation of MET by means of VR-ET-based ABMT achieved promising results for targeting AN symptomatology by reducing BD, DT, WBA, BCB, FGW, and ANX and increasing BA. Two patients who did not show a reduction in FGW during the sessions also showed high ANX levels, which could have affected its reduction. To advance this preliminary study and evaluate the effectiveness of incorporating ABMT into MET, a controlled clinical trial will be conducted.

ABSTRACT. Background: Regular physical activity (PA) is recommended before and after bariatric surgery due to its multiple benefits. More than 70% of adults are inactive before and after bariatric surgery. Theory-based behavioural intervention could be an effective strategy to increase PA, especially if delivered using novel technologies (i.e., telehealth interventions) to address potential invention engagement barriers (e.g., lack of time, travel to health centers) and help to promote greater intervention enrollment and adherence. However, it is important to initially assess whether telehealth interventions and methods proposed to evaluate them are feasible and acceptable in the context of bariatric surgery so necessary modifications can be made before undertaking efficacy studies. Objective: The first objective of this study was to assess the feasibility and acceptability of the research methods and a theory-based telehealth behavioural intervention designed to increase moderate-to-vigorous intensity PA (MVPA) in adults awaiting bariatric surgery (TELE-BariACTIV). The second objective was to generate an estimate of the effect of the TELE-BariACTIV on presurgical MVPA to inform sample size calculates for a future definitive trial. Methods: A multicenter study using a repeated single-case experimental design with multiple baseline assessments (ABAB’A) was conducted, where A phases were observational phases without intervention, and B phases were interventional phases with PA counseling via videoconferencing (Zoom). The sample comprised inactive adults awaiting bariatric surgery who had access to a computer with internet and an interface with a camera. Before bariatric surgery, participants received six 45-minutes weekly sessions face-to-face with the same PA counselor. Session content was informed by self-determination theory and social cognitive theory, and the PA counselor use motivational interviewing techniques. Three months after bariatric surgery, participants were offered three 45-minute monthly booster sessions, to help them maintain or increase their PA. The feasibility of the research methods was determined by the recruitment (number of participants recruited per month), refusal (% of participants who declined to participate) and retention (% of participants who complete all assessments) rates. The feasibility of the intervention was assessed by the attendance (% of sessions completed) and attrition (% of participants who discontinued the intervention) rates. The anticipated and retrospective acceptability of the intervention were evaluated with a 7-item questionnaire, developed according to the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability. Technical quality of the Zoom platform, achievement of clinical objectives, and global satisfaction were reported by the PA counselor immediately after each intervention session. Daily MVPA was assessed by having participants wear an accelerometer before, during, and post-intervention. Results: The recruitment rate from 9/2021 to 7/2022 was 2.2 participants/month. Among the 24 adults referred by clinicians during the 11-month recruitment period, 7 were non-eligible or unreachable, 5 declined to participate (20.8%) and 12 (92% females; 50.5 (45.8-56.8) years ; 46.6 (44.7-51.8) kg.m² provided consent and completed baseline assessments. The retention rate was 83.3% (10/12); 1 participant dropped out due to discomfort with accelerometer during the baseline assessment, and 1 did not want to remain in the study after the first six intervention sessions were completed. No participant dropped out of the pre-surgery intervention (attrition rate=0%), and the attendance rates was 98.6%. Anticipated and retrospective acceptability of the intervention were 80.4% (71.4-83.9) and 75.0% (73.2-77.7), without statistically significant difference between them. The mean score for technical quality assessment of all sessions was 92.0±18.6%, as well as the scores for clinical objectives achieved and global satisfaction were 95.7±13.9%, and 91.7±14.5%, respectively. Statistical analysis of MVPA data are forthcoming. Conclusion: Findings generally support the feasibility and acceptability of the TELE-BariACTIV intervention and study methods in inactive adults awaiting surgery, despite a low recruitment rate that may be explained in part by the specific context of COVID-19.

ABSTRACT. Introduction. One barrier to physical activity (PA) is social physical anxiety (SPA; i.e., a social anxiety subtype resulting from person’s concerns about others’ evaluation of their physical appearance). Greater SPA can lead to avoidance and poor adherence to PA programs. This is concerning as greater SPA is frequently found in women with obesity. Yet, psychological intervention aimed at reducing SPA in this population are scarce. Exposure-based therapy is the treatment of choice for general social anxiety. However, conducting this form of therapy in vivo can result in patient discomfort and prevent complete control of the environment by the clinician. Virtual reality (VR), commonly employed in the treatment of anxiety disorders, offers a solution to these problems by allowing better control over exposure stimuli. Objectives. This pilot randomized controlled trial aims to 1) assess the feasibility and acceptability of the research protocol and a novel psychological intervention with VR exposure-based and exercise training aiming to reduce SPA in women with obesity and elevated SPA, and 2) generate intervention’ effects sizes on SPA to determine the appropriate sample size for a definitive trial. Methods. Preliminary data from 32 women with obesity and elevated SPA (Mage=40.4±4.4 years; MBMI=40.6±5.6 kg.m2) (target sample size: n=45) were randomized to: 1) exercise training plus psychological intervention with VR exposure (VR group); 2) exercise training plus supportive therapy (support group); or 3) waiting list (WL group). The VR group received 8 face-to-face psychological sessions over a 12-week period including cognitive restructuring plus 2 exposure sessions in VR. The support group received 8 face-to-face support sessions including active listening, rewording, emotions and stress management strategies over a 12-week period. VR and support groups also received 2 weekly 45 minutes individually supervised endurance training sessions for 12 weeks. Recruitment (number of participants recruited per month), refusal (% of participants who declined to participate), retention (% of participants who complete all assessments), and randomization refusal (% of participants who refuse the randomization) rates are used to evaluate research protocol feasibility. Attendance (% of sessions completed) and attrition (% of participants who discontinued the intervention) rates were used to evaluate intervention feasibility. The anticipated and retrospective acceptability of the intervention are assessed with a 7-item questionnaire (maximal mean score of 4), developed according to the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability. Intervention’ effects sizes for SPA were analyzed using pre- and post-intervention results from the validated SPA scale. Results. The recruitment rate is 8.3 participant/month from date to date. Among the 149 women who contact us during the 18-month recruitment period, 19.4% were not interested in participating in the study. No enrolled participants refused randomization, and the retention rate is 90.6%. Preliminary data show one intervention attrition in the VR group because of lack of time. In the VR group, attendance rates are 97.7% and 94.3% for the psychological intervention and the exercise training, respectively. Technical problems occurred in 4 out of 22 VR sessions. Attendance rates in the support group were 95.5% and 84.8% for the supportive therapy intervention and the exercise training, respectively. The mean anticipated and retrospective acceptability of the intervention (exercise training plus psychological intervention) was 2.99±0.28, and 3.09±0.31. A statistically significant effect of time x group interaction was found for SPA (interaction F(2, 27)=5.36, p=.011, ηp2=.284). Interaction contrasts showed a statistically significant greater SPA decrease in VR group compared to support group (t(1)=2.57, p=.02), and WL group (t(27)=2.98, p=.005). Conclusion. The feasibility and acceptability of the research protocol and a novel psychological intervention with VR exposure are supported by our preliminary findings in women with obesity and elevated SPA, while providing data to inform a future definitive trial.

ABSTRACT. TBI is a major public heath issue. Each year, at least 50,000 Canadians, including 12,000 Quebecers, are hospitalized with a TBI. Of these, 15% are moderate to severe. Many of them will develop post-traumatic cognitive sequelaes such as memory and executive functions disorders. More specifically, attention dysfonctions are an important consequence after TBI. Approximately 60 to 70% of patients with TBI experience various degrees of these problems even several years after their injury. Attention is usually described as a wide assortment of skills, process and cognitive states. It can influence reaction time, information processing, and vigilance. Problems reported by people who receive a TBI concern concentration, distractibility, forgetfulness, multitasking. Attention as a cognitive function is very important to complete instrumental activities of daily living (iADL) as well as to insure security (for self and others). To help people after a TBI to manage attentional problems, neuropsychologists recommend cognitive rehabilitation to stimulate or to compensate attention deficit. However, despite the many attempts to design attention process specific interventions, generalisation or transfer of learning in the iADL remains to be empirically supported. Recently, several researchers have coined the idea that a better approach could stem from adopting an ecological perspective. In addition, it was proposed that if cognitive training is inserted within everyday life, generalisation and transfer should be better. In order to test these hypotheses, we have developed a mobile application to train attentional process for patients with moderate to severe TBI. This conference paper will describe the application’s development based on ORBIT procedure (Model for behavioral treatment development). ORBIT propose that need four step to develop a new intervention (i.e., phase I: design (1a -define and 1b-refine), phase II: preliminary testing (2a-proof of concept and 2-b pilots), phase III: efficacy, phase IV: effectiveness). In the phase 1a : define, we consulted the scientific litterature to create the attention exercices. Our intention was to develop an attention focus training inspired by different exercises recommended in mindfulness interventions, which is defined as the capacity to pay attention in the present moment without judgement. We looked at two types of litterature: traditional attentional rehabilitation interventions for TBI and the attentional processes involved by mindfulness interventions. This litterature review allows us to create four sessions of attention exercises and implement these exercices in our mobile app that we designed with Unity-3D and that runs under Android exploitation system. In the phase 1b : refine, we are doing the logical content validation of the intervention with the Dephi method. For this purpose, we consulted experts in cognition and mindfulness on two occasions . Next, we will do ecological content validation with healthy participants and participants with a TBI to see the user experience, usability and heuristic of the mobile app. During these development phase, we faced two main problems: a) creating credible, ecological and significant attention exercises (content) and b) optimizing the mobile app by reducing polygons to reduce the weight of our environment. For the first problem, we developed attentional exercises using strategy implemented into a environment that resembled everyday life. For the second problem, we work in collaboration with an engineer in science computing. To conclude, in the next month, we plan to begin phase 2a : proof of concept and look for the feasibility to implement this intervention for patients with moderate to severe TBI. This study will also allow us to understand howhuman machine interaction could be a mediator of attention processing. The conceptualization and validation of this attention training program inspired by mindfulness is the first step in the development of a mobile application for the rehabilitation of attentional functions.

ABSTRACT. Overview: Nurse’s clinical judgement is important to provide optimal and safe care, particularly in a critical care unit. Clinical surveillance is an activity that nurses use every day and which requires crucial components to manage patients' risk of complications. To carry out this process, several cognitive functions and psychological attitudes are needed such as information and attention processing, judgement, decision-making, stress and anxiety regulation. Since 2018, Milhomme, Banville et al. have been working to develop a complete Virtual Care Unit (VCU), using immersive virtual reality, intended to train future nurses to improve their competence towards clinical surveillance process skills. The VCU is a virtual hospital which includes several care units: intensive care, obstetric, oncology and gerontology. Aim: The aim of this qualitative descriptive study was to determine the pertinence to use VCU simulation with graduating nurses’ students to improve clinical surveillance skills in a critical care context. In this paper, we focused on the psychological perspectives of these results. Method: A scientific interdisciplinary team in the Quebec University Network had developed a scenario in the VCU to improve clinical surveillance process in a critical care context. Overall, 13 nursing students were recruited in three universities of the Province of Quebec to test the scenario through the VCU. These students were invited to participate to this study because they were registered a critical care course. Participants were instructed to carry surveillance process on a specific patient who suffer of an instability after a surgery. At the end of scenario exposure, participants were seeing in a semi-structured interview in order to explore user experiences. An interview guide of 11 questions was used for the data collection. A first step of the Grounded Theory method (Strauss and Corbin, 1998) was used to analyse verbatims. Results: The results show there are 10 facilitating et 10 restricting factors in the VCU that may play a role in nursing students’ learning clinical surveillance processes. Among these elements, four of them have an important link with a psychological perspective: Virtual reality related 1) sense of presence; 2) cybersickness and individual related 3) reflexive environment and 4) stress reduction and safety. Discussion: Results show an important contribution of several cognitive function in the clinical surveillance process learning by the virtual reality technology. Within this research, we notify that the VCU will be helpful to expose students to authentical situations. This research will also be helpful to pinpoint main factors that researchers must consider in the future studies related to the topic that is learning with virtual reality.

ABSTRACT. Background: Postural control is an individual's capacity to maintain a controlled, upright position. The loss of postural control and, eventually, falling is one of the significant causes of injury among the elderly that promotes decreased mobility, loss of autonomy in daily activities (bathing, cooking), institutionalization, or even death. Falls are the second leading cause of accidental death, the fifth leading cause of death for those >65 years old and a significant source of stress for the elderly. Almost 30% of the population > 65 years old, 50% of those >85 years old and 60% of the patients who have Parkinson's disease face at least one fall per year. Moreover, the fear of falling again, even after falls that did not require medical treatment, is associated with a vicious circle of further avoidance of activities of daily living, less physical activity, multiple falls, depression, and lower quality of life. It has been reported that having history of fall increases by 3-10 times the risk of ending up in a nursing home. Therefore, the prospective prediction of fall should be able to identify the significant degradations of postural control before (the sooner, the better) any fall occur. The causes of falls are multifactorial (medication use, complex activities, stress, environmental complexities, and sleep quality). In addition, individuals entering a pre-frail or frail condition experience deterioration and de-harmonization in neuromuscular, sensory, and cognitive functions. Finally, considering the fact that static postural control, locomotion, and navigation are tasks that have high cognitive demands, especially in terms of attention as well as executive functioning, deterioration at the sensorimotor and cognitive levels leads to gait and balance disorders increasing the risk of fall. Unfortunately, the limited ability of the functional clinical tests to provide quantified/objective values about the future risk of falling (fRoF), makes any medium/long-term longitudinal analysis practically impossible and, therefore, limits the capacity to predict personalized fRoF In this context, it is not surprising that over the past 15 years, numerous studies have been devoted to preventing falls. A common way to evaluate posture is by recording the centre-of-pressure displacement (posturography) with force platforms. The objective of this study was to create universal and diseased-specific models of personalized prospective prediction of fall and fRoF evaluation considering each individual’s past assessments and constantly monitor the his/her state compared to those with low fRoF individuals. Methods: We included 1537 individuals, with up to 11 posturographic follow-up assessments (irregular time intervals), without excluding any neurological or other impairment that underwent a Romberg test (30sec standing still, eyes open and eyes closed). The resulting posturographic signals were analyzed, and 184 unique fRoF-related features were calculated. We proposed an incremental machine learning classification framework for 1) managing the follow-up dataset, 2) prospectively predicting the individual's fRoF, 3) monitoring the evolution of the individual's balance control compared to those without a history of falls from his/her particular groups (if the individual is diagnosed for any particular deficit) as well as from the general population. Results/Conclusions: The study proposed a meaningful global and disease-related risk of fall evaluation, as well as an elegant visualization/monitoring of the risk of fall compared to non-fallers "normal" state. The performance of our findings was assessed using the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis and the area under the curve (AUC). The encouraging results indicate that such a framework might provide supplementary information about the fRoF of an individual even in distance and be of significant usefulness in the easy, rapid and massive screening of the pre-frail population about early and "weak" signs of fall-related deficits.

ABSTRACT. Context and Research gap

Education plays a crucial role in society by helping individuals acquire the knowledge, skills, and values necessary for personal development and active participation in society. However, traditional educational methods, such as teacher-led classrooms and content transmission based on textbooks, can limit student engagement and stifle natural curiosity. The Metaverse, a post-reality universe in which physical reality and digital virtuality are mixed, offers exciting new opportunities for education. The Metaverse technology possesses several affordances that can be used to learn and teach in an immersive and interactive way, overcome limitations of traditional education, and promoting dynamic, personalized, and collaborative learning experiences. However, at present, it remains to clarify how to use the potential of the Metaverse to optimize learning experiences.

Project

The project aims to design, develop, and evaluate, in a three-year period, a soft skills online training, considering Experiential Learning theory as a framework and taking advantage of the Metaverse affordances to create activities and customized virtual environments. User Experience (UX) design thinking strategy (i.e., empathize, define, ideate, prototype, test) will be used to understand users ‘needs, define problems, and create an innovative prototype of an online soft skill training.

Theoretical framework

One approach to optimizing learning in the Metaverse is through learning through experience. Research has shown that actively participating in the learning process and connecting new information to prior knowledge and experiences can enhance retention and create strong emotional connections to the contents. Morris (2020) reviewed Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory (ELT) model, which is still the most influential theory on experiential learning. In his work, Morris (2020) proposes a new view of what “concrete experience” means and lays the foundations of a new approach in considering the 4-step learning cycle, giving important role to context-specific information. The revised experiential learning framework is suitable for an implementation in the Metaverse, since this technology has several characteristics that place it at a privileged level for doing first-person learning experiences.

Metaverse affordances

Among some of the Metaverse's unique features there are the “sense of presence” that allow the user to feel as if he is really in the environment and the interactivity, namely the possibility to interact with virtual scenario, objects, and even other users. The latter point connects to the possibility of this technology to sustain real-time social interactions. Being immersed in contextually rich virtual environments can lead to increased engagement with the learning process, as well as increased emotional connection with contents. The Metaverse offers a wide range of opportunities for personalization and collaboration, which are often lacking in traditional educational methods. With the Metaverse, education can be tailored to individual needs and preferences, and students can collaborate and learn from one another in real-time. In turn, all this can lead to a more dynamic and engaging learning experience and can foster a sense of community among students.

Expected Contribution to Psychological Research

Overall, the project is expected to contribute to the current research on experiential learning and online tools, by investigating the potential of the Metaverse for sustaining optimal education and effective learning experiences. Eventually, the project will also establish some guidelines for designing effective online learning experiences in the Metaverse.

ABSTRACT. Education is crucial at any stage of the individual development, as it enables students to acquire the knowledge and skills essential for personal growth. Engaged and motivated students tend to be more invested in their education, set goals for themselves and adopt a positive attitude towards learning (Bryson & Hand, 2007; Singh, Granville & Dika, 2002; Zimmerman, Bandura & Martinez-Pons, 1992). Despite the advent of technology and the availability of innovative educational tools and resources, traditional methods such as teacher-led and textbook-based classrooms are still prevalent in the educational context. However, the growing body of literature about gamification of learning and game-based learning (Kapp, 2012; Al-Azawi, et al., 2016), demonstrates the almost infinite possibility of implementing game-design principles and digital tools to enhance the learning experience. In the present study, we primarily investigate the platform usability and the user-experience of a gamified problem-solving experience in the Metaverse.

The experiment follows a within-subjects research design involving university students (healthy adults with > 18 years) who are invited in a virtual reality Metaverse to take part to a gamified mathematical problem-solving activity (i.e., a treasure hunt with logical-mathematical problems). We make use of the Metaverse affordances (i.e., the possibility to socially interact in real-time and the possibility to customize virtual environments) to design the gamified activity. After the experience, the System Usability Scale (SUS, Triberti & Brivio, 2017) and the short version of the User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ-s, Schrepp, Hinderks &Thomaschewski, 2017) will be assessed to participants.

Data collection is still ongoing. The relevance of this study deals with the fact that the Metaverse is a cutting-edge technology that provides an unparalleled platform for conducting educational activities that can be engaging and interesting. The study will explore the possibility of online platforms to sustain effective game-based activities able to positively affect learners’ motivation, creativity and affect. This study can inform future research on game-based activities for educational purposes.

ABSTRACT. Creating and sharing content labelled #fitspiration that ostensibly inspires fitness is very popular on image-based social media sites. #Fitspiration has become increasingly prevalent on Instagram over the past decade, rising from 1.8 million posts in 2014 to over 19.5 million posts in 2021. Despite its popularity, #fitspiration content has faced considerable criticism. Past analyses of #fitspiration, using social media posts extracted between 2014 and 2016, have highlighted its problematic messaging surrounding diet, exercise, and appearance. Furthermore, cross-sectional and experimental research have linked engagement with #fitspiration content to a range of negative mental health outcomes, including negative body image and disordered eating. It is possible that #fitspiration content has changed since 2014-16, in light of the criticism that it has faced, as well as in response to other societal changes (e.g., the covid-19 pandemic, the growing body positivity movement). The present study aims to compare recent #fitspiration content on Instagram with past analyses of data from 2014 (Deighton-Smith & Bell, 2018). In doing so, we aim to provide an understanding of how constructions of fitness within #fitspiration Instagram spaces may have evolved. To do this, 1000 posts labelled #fitspiration were extracted from Instagram in January 2021 and analysed using content analysis and reflexive thematic analysis. These images were then compared to 1000 ‘#fitspiration’ posts from January 2014 (taken from Deighton-Smith & Bell, 2018). Content analysis showed images mainly contained exercise-related content, people, and text. People were predominately shown in gendered and objectified ways, and conformed to societal appearance ideals surrounding thinness and muscularity. Though similar to the 2014 dataset, significantly more exercise images, and significantly fewer diet images were found. There were also fewer thin and/or muscular bodies, and fewer markers of objectification. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse text contained within images. Three themes were developed; (1) “Never miss a Monday”: Fitness and health have rules, (2) Just do it: Lifting the weight of self-doubt, and (3) Strive to be the best: Consequences of decision-making. Like the 2014 dataset, themes constructed thin and muscular bodies as the desired end-goal of fitness and emphasised personal responsibility for fitness practices. However, some messages from 2014 were less salient (e.g., equating fitness with sexual attractiveness) and also different ways of motivating fitness were identified (e.g., through instruction). Combined, analyses highlight how #fitspiration content in 2021 was very similar to 2014, but with more emphasis on exercise and slightly less on appearance. The findings of the study have important implications for researchers interested in fitness-related social media spaces, who need to recognise that content found within hashtags is not static, but instead changes over time, in tandem with broader societal shifts. The findings also have important implications for intervention; developing an awareness of the issues associated with #fitspiration content among both creators and consumers may help to minimise the risks associated with it.

ABSTRACT. Young adults across the Global North engage with a multitude of technologies to support their physical fitness, including social media, diet and exercise apps, exergames and wearables. These technologies are typically used in an overlapping, complementary and complex way; an individual may use Youtube to access a workout, a Fitbit to assess heart rate and calories burned during the workout, and Instagram to post details of the workout once completed. The cumulative user experience of engaging with this digital fitness culture is an emerging area of research interest. To date, research has highlighted multiple positive benefits to using digital technologies to support physical fitness, including increased physical activity levels, and healthy eating practices and improved wellbeing. It has also highlighted many negative consequences, with some users reporting negative body image, anxiety, and engagement in disordered eating/exercise behaviour. These risks likely stem from unregulated and user-generated nature of diet and exercise content shared through these channels and may be more salient for some than others, e.g., individuals with pre-existing body image concerns or with experience of disordered eating. The present research aimed to understand young female students’ experiences of using digital fitness culture between March 2020 and March 2021, over the course of the covid-19 pandemic, wherein restrictions imposed by governments mandated the closure of gyms, leisure centres and other physical fitness spaces for prolonged periods of time. More specifically, it sought to understand how they made sense of their cumulative engagement with digital fitness culture before, during and after government-mandated lockdowns. Seventeen female students (Age M = 20.29, SD = 1.72; Ethnicity White = 94.12%, White-Asian = 6.92%) recruited from universities across the North of England took part in individual interviews where they discussed their engagement with digital fitness culture over the course of the pandemic. Data was analysed using narrative-informed reflexive thematic analysis. Three themes were developed that encapsulated young women’s experiences. The first theme - My lockdown #fitness transformation - encapsulates how young women constructed lockdown as an opportunity to focus on their health and appearance, with digital fitness culture providing crucial information, inspiration and support for this. The second theme – My unrealistic expectations – focuses on young women’s construction of digital fitness culture as a source of unrealistic expectations and social pressure, as well as the feelings of negativity associated with this over time. The final theme - My new resilient self - focuses on young women’s descriptions of how they had developed new ways of orientating towards their body and health, as well as digital fitness culture, over the course of the pandemic. These themes highlight how women’s experiences of digital fitness culture changed over time as a consequence of their technology use, sociocultural context and psychological meaning-making. Repeat engagement fostered a process of continuous learning, wherein users tested different technologies to find those that helped them and developed increased resilience to the more problematic aspects of digital fitness culture, such that present-day interactions were informed by past experiences. Crucially, the findings demonstrate the importance of studying the cumulative effects of engagement with digital fitness culture and the sense-making and learning processes employed by young women when engaging with digital technologies over time.

ABSTRACT. The scientific literature is characterized by two distinct approaches: a psychopathology of videogame use and a psychotherapeutic modeling of this medium. The psychopathological approach to video game addiction encounters difficulties in nosographic definitions, making the validity of this symptomatology variable. American Psychiatric Association introduced Internet video game disorder (DSM 5, 2013) with poorly defined criterias. The World Health Organization expands the types of problematic video game practices while recognizing the validation frailties of this nosology (Aarseth & al, 2016; Kiraky, Demetrovics, 2017; ICD 11, 2021). The research objects focus on the use of video games in a psychopathological configuration. Aims - We chose to study this use in normal developmental processes. We then centered our research work around the identification of the structuring factors of video game use in relation to the developmental specificities of the adolescent process, the psychic capacity of the subject to deal with the losses inherent in adolescent changes. Because of the impossibility for some adolescents to process these losses, one of the major psychopathological risks is depression. Method - We choose a crossed methodology - quantitative and qualitative - to explore the defensive modalities of the adolescent in his video game practice and to highlight the protective factors of their video game use but also to identify the vulnerability factors. We compare two groups of adolescents gamers (12-16 years old): 244 adolescents without disorders and 26 adolescents who consulted a Health Youth Service for a depressive disorder. A self-administration phase of different questionnaires and scales (QITJV, Tisseron and Khayat, 2013; PAI, Li et al, 2013; GAS, French version Gaetan et al, 2014; RCADS, French version, Perrez and Tough, 2005) is proposed to the nonconsultant adolescents and to the group of depressed adolescents. Results on types of video game investments.- The nonconsultant group invest video games in sensorimotor and narrative emotional interactions. However, the intensity of these investments is statistically higher in the group of depressed adolescents. Singular correlations are observed between sensorimotor interactions and factors supporting identity. Emotional narrative interactions are correlated with seeking control over arousal, emotions in play, and importance to identity. Results on video game habits - The non-consultant group plays several types of video games and mostly online with a group of gamers. Depressed adolescents play the same types of games as the nonconsultant group but focus on one game. In addition, they play less online and watch less frequent gaming on Youtube. Discussion.- We find common investments in both groups in terms of frequency of use and type of video games. The practices differed in terms of online video games (in favor of the nonconsultant group) and the number of video games (only one for the depressive group). The analysis of the results shows that the use of video games serves as a support for identification processes through sensorimotor and emotional narrative investments for the nonconsultant group. We propose the concept of « videal « to define the psychic stakes of the investments of the video games on the developmental cursor of adolescence: between the emptiness (« vide » in french) of the losses and the Ego Ideal as heir of this process. The videogame culture offers a structuring factor of the identity of the adolescent in the appropriation of his pubertal feelings and in crossed identifications of online games and viewing. They have a videoludic use characterized by an elaborative videal (protective factor). They figure and symbolize the losses of the adolescence to build an Ego Ideal supporting the weakened narcissism of this developmental period.

ABSTRACT. According to the "constructive episodic simulation" hypothesis, mental constructs concerning the past (EM, Episodic Memory) and the future (EFT, Episodic Future Thinking) would be based on similarly constructed elements and would rely on common brain networks. An important function of memory would be to make information available in a flexible way for the simulation of future events. Within this theoretical framework, we observe that forgetting certain non-targeted information is induced by the retrieval of more relevant information of the same category. One study has shown (Storm & Jobe, 2012) that this retrieval-induced forgetting effect (RIF) was observed when memories of events were put in competition with episodic memories, but RIF was not observed when they were put in competition with EFTs. However, this work has been reevaluated and challenged in another study (Ditta and Storm 2016), showing that RIF can be induced by EFTs. The authors question these divergent outcomes and attribute them to methodological differences between the two studies. According to recent literature, (Addis et al., 2018) memory would no longer be considered the basis of imagination, but instead, both memory and imagination would be manifestations of the same constructive simulation process. If this hypothesis is consistent, RIF should be observed during the construction of EFTs. In line with this position, we wish to further investigate this research using a more ecological paradigm in virtual reality through three experiments. We have developed an immersive virtual reality tool that allows us to compare EFT and EM, by initiating mental projections into the past or the future. In the first study, we aim to reduce the persistent ambiguity regarding forgetting induced by EFT. Immersion at different temporal periods will prime participants' episodic simulations to ensure the high episodicity of MEs and EFTs. After priming, the participants discover rooms filled with objects related to themes that they have to memorize. Then the participants will have to produce EFTs and EMs related to the temporal induction and the themes. If our hypotheses are confirmed, EFTs will lead to forgetting some of the objects linked by theme. Furthermore, according to the TEDIFT model (La Corte & Piolino, 2016), the proportion of personal semantic information increases with temporal distance. Personal semantic representations become more prominent as self-projection moves further into the future or the past. We assume that the stronger semanticization of mental simulations in more distant temporalities will lead to a lower RIF. In a second experiment, we want to confirm that there is a difference in episodicity between past and future mental simulations after immersion in different temporalities. In the first experiment, this factor was studied in an inter-participants design, and the episodic simulations could be moderated by the nature of the proposed themes. The second experiment will enable an intra-participant comparison, independent of the forgetting effect. We hypothesize that the episodicity score would be lower in the more distant conditions compared to the closer conditions, regardless of the past or future nature of the immersion. Finally, the third study aims to demonstrate the priming effect of virtual immersion in past or future temporalities on the episodicity of autobiographical simulations. To ensure that the comparison is valid between a primed and unprimed condition, a "neutral" condition will be presented to participants. The episodicity of autobiographical simulations will be compared within participants, either following immersion in a specific temporality or in a neutral environment. We hypothesize that the episodicity in each temporality condition will be stronger than in the neutral condition.

ABSTRACT. The URBAN GAMERS LAB project is a study that involves a multidisciplinary team (architects, engineers, and psychologists) to propose the activation of knowledge dissemination, and advancement events strongly linked to the digital transition of the younger generations in Emilia Romagna region in Italy. The project is aimed at high school and university students, and it intends to develop multilevel dissemination, training events and mixed involvement techniques, linked to the challenge of the digital transition, pointed to: 1) Promote awareness, especially among young people, regarding the importance of taking part in the digital transition, also defining the trajectories for the future of their city and region; 2) Allow students to recognize their talents through the creative and collaborative process; 3) Develop capacity building of municipality operators and librarians, through training workshops, for the dissemination of managerial skills with respect to gamification paths, thus promoting sustainability and autonomy in the proposition/participation of the projects; 4) Promote and support students in line with European Uninon DigComp programs, and with the digital agenda of the Emilia-Romagna Region, as well as in line with the guidelines of the Digital Agenda for Europe and with the objectives of the Italian Digital Agenda, in the development of transversal skills, life skills and competences such as critical thinking/problem solving, creativity, communication, collaboration, and ICT literacy; 5) Facilitate inclusion in digital transition processes on an urban scale through the game approach and adopting Game Thinking strategies. Participants were enabled to develop project ideas through a path of participation, knowledge growth and co-design of products and activities also using typical strategies of educational psychology (such as zone of proximal development and socio-cognitive conflict); and Game Thinking to solve specific challenges related to the territory (e.g., Emilia-Romagna region). The planned activities of the project, in addition to data collection for research purposes, were aimed at enhancing and integrating different realities (e.g., schools, university, library, etc.) of the municipality involved. The project started in January 2022 and ends in January 2023. About 300 high school and university students, 50 teachers and municipal employees participated in the project. The study took place in three main phases: 1) from May to June the students attended lessons and workshops on how to use games in order to learn and develop skills such as problem solving, creativity, collaboration and negotiation using educational robots (Ozobot) and technologies (VR); 2) from September to November, students held lessons and workshops on gamification (how to build a video game) and functional use of technologies (e.g. online reputation), while municipal employees attended training courses on how to use gamification in order to develop skills useful for their duties; 3) monitoring and impact assessment phase: two questionnaires were administered to all those who participated in the project, one at the end of the first part of the June activities and one at the end of the November activities in order to verify the acquisition skills and project progress. Finally, a final event was organized at the end of the project with an initial return of the results to all the project participants. Preliminary results showed an acquisition of problem-solving, negotiation and transversal competences in all participants with a high liking of the activities they had carried out during the planning phase. The final report with all results is under development and more details will be discussed after completion.

ABSTRACT. Background. Adoption of virtual reality (VR) in clinical practice is still limited due to implementation barriers such as cost. To address this barrier, this study comprises two experiments focused on assessing the efficacy and user experience of a 360° nature video for relaxation presented via different devices. First, we compared the efficacy and user experience of three low-cost smartphone VR headsets. Subsequently, the most adequate out of these smartphone VR headsets was compared to a high-end Meta Quest 2 VR headset and a laptop screen.

Sample. For both experiments, first-year students of the Applied Psychology department of Thomas More University of Applied Sciences were recruited. For experiment 1, we also recruited adults from the general public. In experiment 1, we included 87 participants (14 men, 70 women, 2 non-binary) aged between 7 and 59 years old (M= 20.62, SD= 5.67). In experiment 2, we included 61 participants (7 men, 52 women, 2 non-binary) aged between 17 and 28 years old (M= 18.75, SD= 1.77). For both experiments, individuals with a neurological disorder (i.e. epilepsy) and severe neck complaints were excluded.

Methods. The 360° nature video consisted of five one-minute segments depicting multiple locations of a Belgian park. In experiment 1, participants were randomly assigned to watch this 360° video through one of three available smartphone VR headsets: Bobo VRZ6 (N=29), Shinecon GO2ED (N=30), Shinecon SC-GO6E (N=28). In experiment 2, participants were randomly assigned to watch the 360° video through one of three devices: Bobo VRZ6 (N=22), Meta Quest 2 (N=19), laptop (N=20). In both experiments, pre-to-post changes in participant’s stress (tension) and degree of relaxation were assessed with the tension subscale of the Profile of Mood States questionnaire (POMS), a visual analogue scale (VAS), and physiological measures with the Empatica E4 wristband. User experience (attractiveness, perspicuity, efficiency, dependability, stimulation and novelty) was assessed with the User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ). Additionally, in experiment 1, participants assessed the usability of the other headsets after their assigned intervention and ranked all headsets on factors of usability (comfort, visual and audio quality, preference, ease of use). In experiment 2, sense of presence was assessed with the Igroup Presence Questionnaire (IPQ).

Results. For experiment 1, the three groups reported to feel more relaxed, VAS: F(1,83)=71.19, p<.001) and less tense, POMS: F(1,84)=121.33, p<.001, after watching the 360° video, irrespective of the headset used. There were no significant differences in user experience between test groups, UEQ: Fs<1.36, ps>.26. The ranking questions, however, revealed that on a qualitative level, participants preferred the Bobo VR headset. For experiment 2, the three groups reported to feel more relaxed, VAS: F(1,58)=31.53, p<.001, and less tense, POMS: F(1,58)=52.44, p<.001, after watching the 360° video, irrespective of the medium used. With respect to user experience, results showed significant differences between groups on attractiveness, UEQ: F(2,60)=3.78, p=.03; spatial presence, IPQ: F(2,60)=4.00, p=.02; and involvement, IPQ: F(2,60)=6.64, p=.003. Specifically, each VR headset group was rated as more attractive than the laptop, and participants felt more attentive towards the VR headsets than the laptop. There were no differences between the VR headset groups. Unexpectedly, participants in the laptop group reported higher spatial presence than those in the VR headset groups. Results of the physiological analyses are not yet available.

Conclusion. This study shows that using a low-cost smartphone VR headset can be as effective as a high-end VR headset to present a 360° nature video for relaxation, which indicates that smartphone VR might be a feasible alternative for healthcare organization that cannot afford high-end VR headsets.

ABSTRACT. Introduction. Problematic Social Media Use (PSMU) has been defined as the lack of regulation of one’s use of social media associated with negative outcomes in one’s everyday functioning. Previous meta-analyses reported PSMU prevalence before the beginning of COVID-19, whilst less is known about the change in prevalence over time and after 2020. The present meta-analysis includes all the studies which used the most adopted self-report scale to assess PSMU (i.e., the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale; BSMAS) and aims to explore whether PSMU increased across the world (i) since the first published study on this topic (i.e., in the last six years), (ii) since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, (iii) depending on age, gender and the income level of the countries. Method. This meta-analysis follows the PRISMA guidelines.A keyword-based systematic literature search in MedLine, Science Direct, Web of Science, and Scopus was performed for eligible studies published up to July 2022 in which PSMU was assessed using the BSMAS in a population-based sample. The primary analysis was performed by computing the overall pooled estimate by utilizing the mean and standard deviation of BSMAS for each study's total sample. The random-effects model was utilized for all analyses to fit the data. Before carrying out the computation, sensitivity analyses were conducted. For categorical moderator analysis the mixed-effects model was employed to calculate the pooled ESs for subgroups, pool the ESs in each subgroup by random-effect model, and examine the fixed-effect model to determine the differences between subgroups. Results. The meta-analysis involved 139 independent samples with 133,955 respondents from 32 countries spanning seven world regions. The results show that PSMU did not change in the mean scores over the past few years globally if the publication year is considered (Q = 10.604, df = 5, p = 0.06). Concerning the singular country involved independently by the year, the mean scores were significantly different (Q = 11082.503, df = 31, p = 0.01), with the lowest mean score found in Hungary (n=1,499, M= 9.18) and the highest in Pakistan (n=267, M= 21.18). Regarding countries’ income levels and the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, the data revealed that the mean BSMAS ratings for lower-middle and upper-middle countries increased by 9.96% and 2.80%, respectively, from before to after the pandemic. However, for countries with a high income, it was reduced by 6.57%. Age and gender were not significant moderators. Discussion. High levels of PSMU in low-income countries might be explained based on socio-cultural differences between countries since empirical evidence has shown that individuals with lower socioeconomic status are less likely to have the number, strength, and variety of social connections but also tend to emphasize the mutual benefits of peer support compared with members of high-income countries. This might suggest that the higher levels of PSMU might reflect a compensatory use of social media to find social support and satisfy the need for belongingness. When it comes to the reduction of PSMU in high-income countries after the COVID-19 pandemic, it should be taken into account that the vast majority of the studies included in the category “after the beginning of the COVID- pandemic” were conducted in 2021 or 2022 (i.e., after the critical period of lockdown). One possible explanation is that the high levels of PSMU found in 2020 by various studies were a temporary compensatory strategy to cope with transient negative states (i.e., loneliness) and/or social distance during the lockdown periods, and PSMU symptoms spontaneously remitted in the subsequent months. That is, PSMU might be a transient phenomenon and, at least in part, context-dependent.

ABSTRACT. Introduction. Over the past decade, social media use has grown extensively across different age groups, especially among youths. Consequently, Problematic Social Network Sites Use (PSNSU) received increasing attention, as it has been associated with numerous negative health-related outcomes. PSNSU can be conceptualized as technological addiction and is defined as an inability to self-regulate in one's use Social Networks which results in negative consequences in daily life (Andreassen & Pallesen, 2014). Among PSNSU risk factors, impulsivity has gained attention. Impulsivity – which refers to thoughts and actions that occur without premeditation and are aimed at immediate rewards (APA dictionary of psychology, 2015) – was found to predispose to both substances (e.g., alcohol) and behavioral addiction (e.g., gambling). More recently, evidence emerged about the importance of considering impulsivity from a multidimensional approach, since specific dimensions of impulsivity were found to be involved in specific addictive behaviors. Therefore, the aim of the present meta-analysis is to examine the association between PSNSU and (i) unidimensional impulsivity and (ii) specific dimensions of impulsivity. Method. A keyword-based systematic literature search in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Science Direct was performed for eligible studies published up to 12 December 2022 in which impulsivity and PSNSU were assessed. The primary analysis was performed including the extracted correlations between impulsivity (unidimensional) and PSU in Fisher’s Z values. Meta-regression analyses were performed to assess the influence of sex and age. Furthermore, a subgroup analysis for the country income level was performed. Secondary analyses were conducted to investigate the association between dimensions of impulsivity (i. e. sensation seeking, motor impulsivity, attentional impulsivity and non-planning impulsivity) and PSNSU. All analyses were conducted by applying a random effects model and 95% confidence interval. To assess publication bias, the Egger’s regression intercept was used. Results. Thirty-five studies were included in quantitative analysis with 36 independent samples with a total of 42846 participants (%F=82.70%, mean age =18.79, SD= 5.42, range 14.24-37.16). Of these, 26 studies assessed the association between unidimensional impulsivity and PSNSU, eight studies measured the association between PSNSU and sensation seeking, eight studies evaluated the association between PSNSU and motor impulsivity, seven studies between PSNSU and attentional impulsivity, and eight studies between PSNSU and non-planning impulsivity. Meta-analytic results of the random effects model showed (i) a significant positive correlation between unidimensional impulsivity and PSNSU (n= 34637, Fisher’s Z = 0.27; CI 0.22, 0.32; Z = 10.85; p < 0.001), (ii) a non-significant association between sensation seeking and PSNSU (n= 8251; p = 0.11), (iii) a significant but small positive association between non-planning impulsivity and PSNSU (n= 3002, Fisher’s Z = 0.07; CI 0.04, 0.11; Z = 3.97; p < 0.001), (iv) a significant positive association between attentional impulsivity and PSNSU (n= 3002, Fisher’s Z = 0.16; CI 0.11, 0.21; Z = 6.29; p < 0.001) and (v) a significant positive association between motor impulsivity and PSNSU (n= 2784, Fisher’s Z = 0.25; CI 0.18, 0.32; Z = 6.84; p < 0.001). Sex and the country income level did not moderate the association between unidimensional impulsivity and PSNSU, while age resulted a significant moderator (Q = 205.54, df = 21, p = 0.000). No risk of publication bias emerged. Discussion. I In line with previous researchon substance and behavioral addictions, these results confirmed that PSNSU was positively associated with both unidimensional and specific dimensions of impulsivity, and that the relationship was stronger with decreasing age. Therefore, impulsivity can be considered a possible antecedent linked to the development of PSNSU, especially among young people. These findings might have clinical implications for creating preventive and therapeutic interventions focused on impulsivity.

ABSTRACT. Previous research on (cyber)bullying has mostly focused on individual and social characteristics of the victims (i.e., self-esteem, peer support), but (cyber)bullying may also be based upon social identity characteristics (i.e., nationality, religion) which were declared as protected characteristics. Furthermore, previous research showed that socio-demographic and peer-related factors are the most important in the prediction of both (cyber)bullying perpetration and victimization. However, whether these factors are also the risk or protective factors for prejudice-based cyberbullying (PBCB) is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the predictors of PBCB perpetration and victimization from the domain of socio-demographic (gender, age, belonging to protected groups), individual (self-esteem), social media-related (social media addiction, time spent on social media, number of social media accounts), and peer-related factors (perceived peer support, peer norms regarding cyberbullying) based on large-scale cross-cultural research. The study included 4364 high school students aged 14-21 (Mage = 17 years; 61.5% female) who were nested within 74 schools nested within 16 countries (Belgium, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Hungary, India, North Macedonia, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, Thailand, Turkey). Students completed measures of PBCB perpetration and victimization, social media addiction, self-esteem, perceived peer support, and peer norms on cyberbullying perpetration and victimization. They also provided information about their nationality (majority/minority), religion (majority/minority), asylum-seeking status, developmental disability, as well as the time they spend on social media and the number of social media accounts. Multilevel modeling was used to determine the predictors of PBCB perpetration and victimization. Analyses indicated that a two-level model with students nested within schools fitted data better than a one-level (student), two-level (student and country), and three-level model (student, school, and country). School level accounted for 12% of PBCB perpetration and 7% of PBCB victimization variance, while the remaining variance was placed at the student level. Given the correlation between PBCB perpetration and victimization (r = .58), to get insight into a pure tendency towards perpetration, victimization was controlled in predicting PBCB perpetration, and vice versa. Once PBCB victimization was controlled, PBCB perpetration was more pronounced among males and it was related to the longer time spent on social media, lower number of social media accounts, lower social media addiction, and more tolerant peer norms on cyberbullying victimization. After controlling for PBCB perpetration, PBCB victimization was more pronounced among students with all investigated protected characteristics: national and religious minorities, asylum seekers, and individuals with developmental disabilities. Furthermore, it was related to higher social media addiction, lower self-esteem, lower perceived peer support, and more tolerant peer norms on cyberbullying perpetration and victimization. The results of this study indicate that students with protected characteristics, as well as individuals who develop problematic and excessive use of social media and psychologically more vulnerable individuals, are at greater risk of becoming the victims of PBCB. Perpetrators of PBCB are neither characterized by protected characteristics nor by belonging to majority groups; and while their time spent on social media can be prolonged, it doesn’t have an addictive quality. Our results suggest that the normalization of cyberbullying in peer groups could facilitate both PBCB perpetration and victimization. Finally, small amounts of variance placed at the country level indicate that PBCB perpetration and victimization are cross-culturally universal phenomena. Acknowledgment: The collected data are a part of the Cost Action 18115 TRIBES.

ABSTRACT. Sexting includes sending, receiving, or forwarding sexually explicit messages, photographs, or videos through the internet. Although it could be consensual in cases when an individual agrees to send or receives sexually explicit personal content, in many cases sexting happens against someone’s will and could have detrimental psychological consequences. Because of this, the lines between non-consensual sexting and cyberbullying are blurred, as sharing one's (real or edited) sexually explicit photos or videos could be intended to harm, embarrass, or socially insult another person. In this study, we examined non-consensual sexting among high-school students from Serbia. The aim of the study was to examine the predictors of sexting perpetration, victimization, and bystander experience from the domain of individual characteristics and attitudes toward online sexual behaviors. A sample of 2635 high school students from Serbia aged 14-18 years (average age 15.8 years, 45% male) participated in the study. They filled out a series of questionnaires measuring non-consensual sexting perpetration, victimization, bystander experience, self-esteem, self-efficacy, social support, susceptibility to peer pressure, attitudes toward sexually disinhibited behaviors online, and beliefs about the consequences of sexting. Participants also reported their experience with romantic relationships and the frequency of use of social media. Data were analyzed by the hierarchical regression analyses where sexting perpetration, victimization, and bystander experience were treated as criterion variables, while gender, romantic relationship experience, frequency of social media use, individual characteristics, and attitudes were added in the model as predictor variables. In the analysis of sexting perpetration, victimization was controlled to rule out the two-way sexting and vice versa, while in the analysis of sexting bystander experience both perpetration and victimization were controlled. Regression models explained 39% of the variance of sexting perpetration, 37% of sexting victimization, and 38% of sexting bystander experience. Non-consensual sexting perpetration was uniquely predicted by the non-consensual sexting victimization (β=.46), gender (β=-.13, i.e. higher among males), self-esteem (β=.06) and affirmative attitudes toward sexually disinhibited behaviors online (β=.23). Sexting victimization was related to sexting perpetration (β=.47), gender (β=.12, i.e. higher among females), having experience with romantic relationships (β=.12), social support (β=-.07), susceptibility to peer pressure (β=.09) and affirmative attitudes toward sexually disinhibited behaviors online (β=.14). Finally, sexting bystander experience was related to both sexting perpetration (β=.32) and victimization (β=.13), frequency of social media use (β=.07), self-efficacy (β=.07) and affirmative attitudes toward sexually disinhibited behaviors online (β=.12) and believing in the negative consequences of sexting (β=.25). Results of the study suggest that non-consensual sexting perpetration, victimization, and bystander experiences are closely related and often coincide, which might indicate that the social norms of a group could greatly shape such behaviors. The significance of the affirmative attitudes toward sexually disinhibited behaviors online, which were the most consistent predictor of all three kinds of sexting experiences, additionally supports the conclusion that the normativeness of harming behaviors play important role in sexting and cyberbullying occurrence. Acknowledgment: Project was financially supported by the Center for missing and exploited children.

ABSTRACT. Individuals are constantly required to implement adaptive responses to environmental demands, and the ability to do that is deemed as mental flexibility (MF). Mental flexibility includes cognitive, behavioral, and affective components, which are closely intertwined and that interact in real life. Given the complexity of this phenomenon as well as its link with real life environmental demands, and in order to study it in a controlled but ecological way, an advanced psychometric approach is required and here proposed. Specifically, we aim to advance current self-reported MF instruments by developing a new ecological psychometric tool using ecological 360° immersive scenarios featuring prototypical situations in which MF is operationalized by means of explicit observable characters’ behaviors. After each video, participants are required to express their judgement, which was then used to create an automatic score for the individual or collective evaluation of the test. The tool can allow for a more efficient and accurate assessment of mental flexibility compared to self-report measurements. The use of ecological immersive situations and 360° videos provides a unique and powerful way to assess this construct, and the tool could be potentially used in a wide range of research and clinical settings. This novel ecological psychometric approach for studying mental flexibility may hold the potential to deeply change the measurement of dynamic processes, such as mental flexibility.

ABSTRACT. Affective states—namely, behavioral, subjective, and psychophysiological changes associated with an emotional episode—are generally structured in two dimensions: arousal or psychophysiological activation (low vs. high) and hedonic valence or pleasantness (positive vs. negative). These two dimensions can be represented in a Cartesian plane to demonstrate positive and negative valence interacting with low and high arousal. An individual’s specific elicited emotion as a reaction can be identified in the space with a specific value of arousal and valence that we can use to define that individual’s state in the specific moment. Affective states represent a combination of valence and arousal per several time-points (states) in several individuals; however, the transition from one state to another is not normally taken into account. This situation represents a problem as the affective state needs to be defined as a process considering the change over time. Although affective states have always been described as dynamic, studies tend to operationalize them in a static and disjointed way; in other words, studies analyze one affective state at a time, in its arousal and valence dimensions, linking them to the eliciting stimulus, which is also generally static. Affect dynamics refer to the study of emotions and their influence on behavior, cognition, and decision-making. As such, a valence-arousal model representing states is perfect for analyzing transitions from one state to another and, thus, the dynamic over time. In this regard, affect dynamics—namely, the study of how affective states change over time—is a developing field in psychology. Affect dynamics encompass both the generation and regulation of emotions as well as their effects on individuals and groups. Affect dynamics stress the importance of studying affect as a process that occurs within individuals over time. A second important aspect is to compare processes between individuals as groups (or patient typology). To study affect dynamics, we need to consider the transition from one stimulus to another or dynamic stimuli. This second kind of stimulation is quite difficult because it requires a dynamic change from one stimulus to another along a continuum that becomes impossible to elicit with photos and very difficult to be created to elicit with videos. In this sense, the use of classic stimuli in the valence-arousal model (e.g., International Affective Picture System [IAPS]) would have no efficacy. On the other hand, the use of virtual reality (VR) for modeling affect dynamics could be an easy and ecological way to study affective dynamics. VR can represent the change from one elicitation to another, in a fluid and continuous way. On the other hand, static images or videos would represent the transition from one stimulus to another in a discrete and direct way. The objective of our study is to investigate the dynamics of affect by using VR environments changing smoothly over time. Considering the four quadrants of affective states, we created 6 virtual environments to consider all the transitions from one quadrant to another. These 6 environments represent 12 transitions (doubled as we consider a transition and its return). For example, considering only valence, we created a park where it rains (negative valence) and then becomes gradually sunny (positive valence). After each VR environment, we assess the two dimensions of valence and arousal using the Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM). Prior research on VR and affective states has examined the potential impact of VR on assessing emotional responses. However, virtual reality offers a unique opportunity to examine the physiology and behavior associated with the transition between distinct emotional states.

ABSTRACT. The use of virtual reality (VR) for emotional regulation and the treatment of anxiety disorders has often been guided by creativity, clinical experience, hunches, or classical approaches to treatment mechanisms (e.g., habituation). This presentation will argue in favor of a strong focus on neuroscience, current theories of learning and emotions, and reliance on empirical studies. The workshop is organized in three sections. The presentation will begin with a brief review of the core features of effective psychotherapies for anxiety disorders (phobias, panic disorder, agoraphobia, social anxiety and generalized anxiety disorders). The role of exposure and inhibitory learning will be described, along with nuances to distinguish between counterproductive therapeutic strategies that create more avoidance versus those that are effective. The limitations of standard exposure as used in traditional cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and the advantages of using VR exposure will be presented. The part of the workshop will expose treatment protocols illustrating how to use VR for each disorder. Clinical illustrations will be provided by the two workshop leaders. A few key studies will be described to highlight the pros and cons of using VR. The last 30 minutes of the workshop will be dedicated to underline the relative roles of presence and unwanted negative side effects induced by immersion in VR (cybersickness). The presenters will use dynamic examples to illustrate how to make the best use of VR in psychotherapy.

After this workshop, participants will be able to: 1) Outline the scientific results about exposure in VR for all anxiety disorders. 2) Identify the key ingredients relevant to use VR in the treatment of treat phobias, panic disorder, agoraphobia, social anxiety disorder and general anxiety disorder. 3) Know how to include VR in the traditional CBT treatment of anxiety disorders and to approach creatively the use of a variety of software. 4) Recognize and deal with cybersickness and take necessary clinical precautions. 5) Describe how to increase the sense of presence in order to make VR work more efficiently or to deal with low level of immersion. 6) Initiate a discussion about the emergence of new products and start-ups claiming that VR can cure mental disorders.

Note about the management of conflicts of interest with the sponsor of the workshop. All conflicts of interest will be declared at the beginning of the workshop. The conference will not promote particular products and opinions will be based on empirical evidences.

ABSTRACT. The goal of this first presentation of the symposium “New trends in virtual reality and the use of biomarkers and biofeedback in mental health” is to provide basic knowledge enabling subsequent presenters to focus on their innovations and results. First, typical biomarkers of physiological arousal will be introduced, such as heart rate (e.g., frequency, variability) and skin conductance, as well as those adapted to VR more recently (e.g., eye-tracking, EEG). Biofeedback will be defined as essentially displaying in real time information about a person’s physiology to allow him or her practicing emotion regulation or other skills that impact physiological responses.

Biofeedback has been used in virtual reality applications for decades, but how it is used and for which goal did change significantly. In early studies, biofeedback information was displayed to the therapist on a computer monitor while the user was immersed in VR. The session was then reviewed with the patient after immersion, or therapist would comment on the physiological response but the patient could not see the feedback. Later on, the visual display was integrated into the virtual environment itself and biofeedback could be experienced by the user during the immersion. A review of the literature revealed slightly more than a dozen distinct clinical studies focusing on stress, anxiety and pain reduction. A summary of these studies will be presented and reveal the advantage of combining biofeedback with VR was not always superior to biofeedback alone in terms of stress management. But using VR may be advantageous in terms of motivation and users’ experience. This evolution in the technology led to the development of several commercial applications for stress management that are now available to the general public.

However, biomarkers and biofeedback can be used for much more that was has been traditionally done. As an example of the newer applications of biofeedback in VR, the presentation will briefly illustrate how it is being used in our research team to significantly adapt cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) to Inuit culture. Many core features of CBT or other forms of evidence-based psychotherapy do not fit well with Indigenous populations and other cultures. Using virtual reality and biofeedback allows focusing attention away from introspection in “talk therapies” and toward action, holistic integration of body/mind/environment and building resilience. The presentation will highlight the specific adaptations required for this culture.

ABSTRACT. In recent years, there has been a resurgence of the use of biomarkers and biofeedback to broaden the scope of clinical VR applications. Over the last 25 years, the focus has shifted from (a) using biosignals as a guide for psychotherapists during exposure for phobias and review sessions with patients after the immersion (e.g., Wiederhold, 1999), to (b) using stimuli in the virtual environment to display biofeedback during the treatment of anxiety disorders (e.g., variations in stress being displayed by changes in the intensity of a campfire or a waterfall, Repetto et al., 2011), to (c) more diversified clinical populations such as schizophrenia, autism or migraine, and (d) using biomarkers data to automatically individualize user’s experience and automatize treatment. The availability of artificial intelligence (Machine Learning) tools to analyze large dataset led to hope of modeling arousal during psychotherapies to adjust in virtual stimuli in real time to improve therapeutic interactions with virtual stimuli, optimize treatment and implement AI-based virtual therapists.

Our discussant is Brenda Wiederhold, a pioneer of the use of biofeedback in VR.

ABSTRACT. Context. It is often assumed the relationship between telepresence and working alliance is linear (i.e., better telepresence is associated with stronger working alliance). For example, in their fine grain qualitative analysis of telepresence, Norwood et al. (2021) noted that clients were not fully present yet developed a strong working alliance with their psychotherapists. However, telepresence, or the illusion the interpersonal relation between a patient and a psychotherapist is not currently experienced via a telecommunication medium, may not be linear. In other fields of cyberpsychology, it is assumed that: (a) when (tele)presence in low, the virtual experience is not optimal and does not lead to the same emotions and quality of interpersonal relations as in vivo experiences, (b) stronger feelings of presence are associated with stronger emotional reactions and social bonds, and (c) after certain levels, telepresence has played its role and does not contribute to more emotions or social bonds (Bouchard et al., 2012). These impressions have not been empirically tested with data on telepsychotherapy.

Hypotheses. The current study tested whether the relationship between telepresence and working alliance, as experienced by patients, may not be linear.

Methodology. Sixty-five participants with a primary diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder with agoraphobia received cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) delivered via videoconference. Treatments were manualized and delivered by supervised graduate students in psychology. Participants completed measures of working alliance, as defined by Bordin (1979) and measured with the Working Alliance Inventory (WAI, Horvath & Greenberg, 1989), and telepresence (as measured by the TVS, Berthiaume et al., 2018) after the first and the fifth psychotherapy sessions. Scores of social telepresence on the TVS and the total WAI score for working alliance were used for the analyses.

Results. Two sets of analyses were performed. First, the quality of the fit of non-linear relations was tested for telepresence and working alliance when measured: (a) both at the first session, (b) both at the fifth session, and (c) telepresence at the first session and working alliance at the fifth session. All three cases, the non-linear models were statistically significant (F = 18.94, p < .001, R2 = .23; F = 32.92, p < .001, R2 = .34; F = 13.38, p < .001, R2 = .18; respectively) and provided a better fit of the data than the linear models. The second analysis was to probe the linearity of the interaction in a moderation analysis examining how telepresence influences working alliance over time. The overall moderation model was statistically significant [F(3, 61) = 19.25, p < .001, R2 = .486]. When probing the interaction with the Johnson-Neyman technique (Hayes, 2007), the plot of Cohen’s d clearly illustrated the nonlinear relationship between telepresence and working alliance, as the role of telepresence was significant for values below 88.23 and became nonsignificant for higher values.

Conclusion. These results suggest that: (a) a poor telepresence is likely to be associated with a poor working alliance, (b) the strength of the relationship between telepresence and the working alliance increases with higher telepresence, and (c) after a certain level, telepresence does not play a significant role on working alliance. Clinicians should pay attention to develop and sustain telepresence when it is poor to moderate, but being fully present is not necessary to have a good working alliance.

ABSTRACT. Context: A growing number of studies have used virtual reality (VR) for the assessment and treatment of body image disturbances. In this presentation, the results of two validation studies of two VR-based figure rating scales are presented. More specifically, the first study (study 1) was conducted in a community sample of adult and aimed to test the convergent and discriminant validity between the traditional paper-based Figure Rating Scale (FRS) and the VR-based FRS eLoriCorps-IBRS 1.0. The second study was conducted in a community sample of adolescents and aimed to document the convergent and discriminant validity between the traditional paper-based FRS and a revised version of the VR‐based FRS (i.e., the eLoriCorps‐IBRS 1.1). Method: A total of 53 women and 13 men (M= 23.2, 18 to 52 years old), recruited at the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (Trois-Rivières, Québec, Canada), via brief classroom presentations and emails sent to university students, faculty, and staff participated to study 1. Regarding study 2, a total of 93 adolescents (M= 15.4, 14 to 18 years old), recruited at schools and community organizations, participated to this study. Ideal body size, perceived body size, body dissatisfaction and body distortion were assessed through the paper‐based FRS, the eLoriCorps‐IBRS 1.0 (study 1) and the eLoriCorps‐IBRS 1.1 (study 2) . Eating disorder symptoms, body image avoidance, and social physique anxiety were also measured in the two studies. Correlation analyses were performed. Results: Outcomes for study 1 showed convergent validity between body image variables (with the exception of ideal body size) measured in the allocentric perspectives with the traditional paper-based FRS and the eLoriCorps-IBRS 1.0. On the contrary, body image variables assessed in an egocentric VR perspective, showed smaller correlations with the ones collected in both allocentric perspectives (i.e., paper-based and VR). Overall, the results of study 2 showed a good and statistically significant convergence between allocentric perspectives as measured by the paper-based FRS and the eLoriCorps‐IBRS 1.1 , when assessing perceived body size, ideal body size, body dissatisfaction, and body distortion. In line with the results of study 1, discriminant validity between the egocentric- and allocentric-based assessments was confirmed for all body image-related variables with the exception of body distortion. Conclusions: In conclusion, these validation studies provide first evidence of the validity of the two VR-based versions of the eLoriCorps-IBRS to assess body image dimensions in different populations. Furthermore, the results of these two studies are consistent with emerging evidence highlighting a difference between experiencing the body from an egocentric (i.e., the body as a subject) and allocentric (i.e., the body as an object) perspective. Internal body sensation could influence the egocentric representation of the body, whereas the allocentric body size and shape representation could be influence by inter-individual comparisons.

ABSTRACT. Body Self-Consciousness (BSC) is based on a multisensory integration (MSI) process, in which bodily signals and information entering the space immediately surrounding the body - the Peripersonal Space (PPS) - are integrated. The PPS contributes to the development of self-presentation and plays a critical role in shaping how people interact with the surrounding physical and social environment. Alterations in the PPS have been found to be associated with conditions characterised by abnormal anxiety responses or altered states of the BSC, suggesting a possible role in the maintenance of pathological behaviour. Thus, previous research has explored the possibility of manipulating PPS through body illusions. In the present study, we investigated whether a full-body illusion (FBI) presented from an allocentric spatial frame was able to extend the PPS boundary. Participants performed the first run of the PPS task and were then presented with the FBI, followed by a second run of the PPS task for both synchronous and asynchronous conditions. Results showed that PPS increased after the synchronous FBI compared to baseline. As the PPS reflects a change in the MSI, future studies should investigate whether PPS enhancement and allocentric FBI can positively influence body experience in conditions characterised by BSC alterations, such as eating disorders, as well as their effects on the way people interact with their physical and social environment.

ABSTRACT. Although cognitive changes in aging can be considered physiological, the incidence of neurodegenerative diseases drastically increases with age. While symptoms vary from person to person, memory problems are often the most common. Traditionally clinicians assess these deficits using paper-and-pencil tests. However, in recent years, there has been an ongoing debate regarding the use of traditional techniques, which is linked to their ecological validity. As a result, researchers emphasize the necessity of observing cognitive and behavioral functioning in a life-like setting. In this scenario, Virtual Reality is a promising tool to improve the quality of the neuropsychological assessment process since it can provide realistic environments in a controlled and safe way. Among these technologies, 360° videos offer additional opportunities. In particular, they are spherical videos recorded by a special camera able to collect images from around the environment. In this way, users can look around the scene, similarly as they would in real life: by moving the device, users can control the viewing direction, and they may observe what is going on all around. These features are crucial for the assessment process, improving the accuracy of the procedure allowing a considerable increase in the ecological validity of the tests, and promoting an embodied experience. 360° videos have also a friendly design which makes them more suitable for patients with mild impairments who may have some difficulties interacting with more sophisticated devices. In this scenario, we propose an innovative 360°-based tool to fit this promising panorama: semApp. Based on previous research, we implemented existing tools thanks to cutting-edge software to increase the ecological validity of the assessment and the control of the environments, with standardized multimodal stimulation, precisely calibrated feedback about the performance, and automatic registration of outcomes. In particular, we provide a tool composed of two memory tasks: an object recognition task and a spatial memory task. In the first task users are immersed in a living room, they must encode and then recall some target objects that have been moved. In the second, users must freely navigate in an apartment visiting rooms and then have to recognize the map of the house. This cross-platform tool can be deployed on a portable device (e.g., tablet) and guarantee an objective and standardized evaluation of memory to also keep patients monitored even without requiring further visits and movements of the patients. In the present study, we tested the usability of this novel application for the assessment of memory. Usability refers to the degree to which a user can utilize a given system effectively, efficiently, and satisfactorily. It is a crucial factor when employing new technologies, allowing clinicians to identify barriers and facilitators, and developing appropriate tasks for the target. For this purpose, we enrolled volunteers at the IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano. To collect realistic data on end-users’ experience, 7 patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) were involved. Participants were examined in two sessions. First, we administered neuropsychological tests to verify MCI. Then, users tested the app evaluating its usability. The usability has been assessed using quantitative instruments such as the System Usability Scale, the Senior Technology Acceptance Model, the Independent Television Commission Sense of Presence Inventory, and a qualitative technique: the thinking aloud protocol to collect users’ opinions regarding the technology’s employment and criticism while performing the task. Results show that patients evaluate semApp as usable, reporting interest and fascination in trying this new assessment methodology. Users also confirmed their propensity to accept and usage of the proposed application. Our findings are promising to encourage the use of 360°-based applications for memory evaluation.

ABSTRACT. One of the most significant challenges that social and health systems face today is population aging. According to the World Health Organization, the population over 60 years old will account for 13.5% of the global population in 2020, growing at an alarming rate. In the meanwhile, the number of people suffering from cognitive problems due to aging is seriously increasing. One of the most common examples is Alzheimer's Disease (AD). On these bases, experts highlight the need for innovative interventions targeting the early preclinical stages of AD (i.e., Mild Cognitive Impairment - MCI, and Subjective Memory Complaints - SMC). In the field of non-pharmacological interventions, there has been a growing interest in dual-task (DT) training to improve cognitive and motor functioning. The DT is a paradigm that involves two exercises performed concurrently, as well as a physical activity and a cognitive task (e.g., walking while counting backward). Evidence suggests that DT is a successful approach in the rehabilitation field, and it benefits a variety of individuals, including older persons with frailty syndrome, neurological disease, and poststroke patients. However, most of these training have been carried out in aseptic laboratories, limiting the transfer of the ability in real life. Nowadays, innovative technology offers promising outcomes and 360° videos are an example. They are spherical videos captured by a special omnidirectional camera. This method provides to capture the real environment, providing a high level of visual realism that can increase participant engagement. The user-friendly design also makes 360° technologies suitable for interaction whit impaired patients who may have some difficulties interacting with more sophisticated devices. The aim of the current work is to design an intervention to train cognitive functions and motor ability concurrently, in situations as realistic as possible, simulating a real-life circumstance in a daily setting. Moreover, the added value is to create a tool to be provided through two phases: in-hospital and at-home rehabilitation, to enhance the cognitive functioning of individuals with a preclinical stage of dementia. The 360° dual-task training will consist of different exercises taking place in daily environments, such as houses, hospitals, offices, etc., and each exercise will reproduce different ordinary activities (i.e., cooking, using the telephone, and managing medications), requiring participants to perform motor tasks while interacting with the environment. During the exercises, subjects will have to perform motor tasks while interacting with the environment. The program will cover 10 bi-weekly sessions and will be available in two different modalities: immersive and non-immersive. The immersive modality requires the use of a head-mounted display, to train cognitive functions and a cycle ergometer for motor activity. The non-immersive one consists of the use of a table and a portable cycle ergometer. This technology-based intervention will provide older individuals with an innovative and personalized instrument to improve their quality of life by being cognitively engaged. Moreover, this offers the possibility to transfer abilities to real life. The structure of the application will be present during the conference.

ABSTRACT. Introduction: Negative affect has been identified as a risk factor for the development and maintenance of eating disorders (Stice et al., 2017), that has been associated with body dissatisfaction (i.e., the affective dimension of body image disturbance (BID)) and the alteration of body size estimation (i.e., the perceptual dimension of BID) (Garner & Garfinkel, 1981). Conversely, the positive affect has been proposed as a possible BID protective factor (Trentowska et al., 2013); nonetheless, its role on the affective and, especially, the perceptive dimension of the BID (i.e., perceived or ideal body size estimation) has been scarcely documented. In this study, we used virtual reality (VR) for conducting a positive mood induction procedure (MIP) (based on Baños et al., 2016) and for assessing the perceptive dimension of BID (based on Gledhill et al., 2016). The aim of his study was to analyze the role of positive affect in changing the perceptual and affective dimensions of BID. Method: Forty-two female adolescents ranging in age from 13 to 18 years (M = 15.88; SD = 1.40) were included. All patients were admitted to the Acute Child and Adolescent Hospitalization Unit of the Psychiatry Department of the Hospital Clínico Universitario Lozano Blesa, receiving inpatient or outpatient care. Measures: All participants filled out sociodemographic and clinical data (ad-hoc), self-report measures of state body dissatisfaction (BISS; Cash et al., 2002), state positive and negative affect (PANAS, Watson et al., 1988), and depressive symptomatology (BDI-II; Beck et al., 1996). Procedure: After filling out the pre-test questionnaires, participants were exposed to a VR assessment method displayed with Oculus Rift to perform 2 tasks (based on Gledhill et al., 2016): assessment of the body size estimation of the perceived body (task 1 – i.e., “This body is: thinner/fatter than me”) and the ideal body size estimation (task 2 – i.e., “This body is: thinner/fatter than my ideal body). Each task consisted of 19 female avatars with Body Mass Index (BMI) ranging from 13 to 31 kg/m2. Avatars were displayed on the screen with a two-alternative forced choice (“thinner” vs. “fatter”) in each task. After filling out the pre-experimental measures and the VR tasks, participants received the positive MIP that included a Velten’s task, visualization of images from the international affective picture system, and the recall of a positive autobiographical memory. After the MIP, participants filled in again the post-test BISS, PANAS, and both VR tasks. Results: Paired t-tests were used to evaluate significant changes in outcomes over time. Firstly, the results indicated that the MIP of happiness was effective in decreasing scores of the negative affect, t(40)= 6.80, p <.001, and increasing the positive affect, t(40)= -5.06, p <.001. Secondly, the results indicated that there was a significant increase in state body dissatisfaction, t(40)= -1.77, p =.042, and the BMI of the ideal body, t(40)= -2.36, p =.012, from the pre- to post-measures. Additionally, there was a marginal effect of the MIP on the body size estimation of the perceived body, t(40)= 1.39, p =.086. Conclusion: This study shows that the positive affect may be related to positive changes in the affective and the perceptive BID. Although further research needs to be carried out with other age groups, designing interventions that focus not only on the decrease of the negative affect but also on the promotion of a positive mood (e.g., self-compassion training) could be a promising method to improve BID.

ABSTRACT. Correct memory retrieval relies on cognitive control which envelops cognitive functions supporting goal-directed behavior such as inhibiting irrelevant information. High cognitive control aids in avoiding erroneous memory retrieval, also termed false memory, especially when memories are semantically closely related. Cognitive control has repeatedly been linked to heart rate variability (HRV), which is the natural fluctuation in the heart rate reflecting autonomous nervous system activity, and may be improved by stimulating HRV. However, the empirical evidence on the link between intra-subject changes in autonomic activity and cognitive control remains sparse and has never been studied at a memory level. HRV can almost instantaneously be increased by HRV biofeedback. The latter describes a training technique based on the self-regulation of the cardiac activity, typically by adapting slow breathing, in response to real-time cardiac feedback signals. We demonstrate here our attempt to uncover the potential of HRV biofeedback to improve cognitive control and memory functions and to clarify the mediating role of HRV stimulation during memory processing in healthy young adults.

HRV biofeedback was integrated into the Deese-Roediger-McDermott false memory paradigm to assess the immediate effects of HRV stimulation on true and false long-term memory retrieval. The task was implemented into a virtual reality environment to facilitate the biofeedback integration as well as to increase experimental control and training efficacy. 83 healthy adults (24.65 ± 5.51 years) were randomly divided into a biofeedback group and an active control group. Both groups completed two parallel task versions in a single 3-hour session. Participants were embodied by a human avatar of the same gender and age in the first-person perspective sitting on a lonely beach and gazing at the open sea. Instructions, cues, and response options were displayed on a marble stone wall appearing in front of the user. During each task participants were required to memorize 120 words divided into 8 associative lists (encoding). After a retention period (consolidation), they were asked to recognize some of these words among unrelated distractor items and semantically related lure items (retrieval). Participants exercised controlled breathing at a natural rhythm (no HRV stimulation) before encoding and retrieval. Only the biofeedback group performed HRV biofeedback at post-test during which the heart rate signal was displayed as changes in the color of the sea. An electrocardiogram and respiration amplitude were recorded during rest shortly prior to the task and throughout the task. True-to-false memory discrimination performance was assessed as the sensitivity index d’. HRV was measured as the root mean square successive difference (RMSSD) in heart period series during encoding and retrieval. Total as well as reactivity values (i.e., ratio to baseline at rest) were considered. The biofeedback effect was evaluated as the group-by-test interaction effect derived from linear mixed effect models.

Biofeedback did not increase RMSSD or RMSSD reactivity during memory processing nor did it improve d’. Moreover, RMSSD was not linked to d’. However, we found that heart rate reactivity at encoding and retrieval positively correlated with d’. As changes in heart rate bias RMSSD, RMSSD reactivity was adjusted for heart rate reactivity. After adjustment, a biofeedback effect on RMSSD reactivity during encoding and retrieval could be found. Moreover, after adjustment, RMSSD reactivity was linked to d’. The results suggest that distractor discrimination was more associated with cardiac activity at encoding, whereas lure discrimination was more associated to the cardiac activity at retrieval.

This research corroborates the interest in heart rate variability biofeedback as a medication-free and cost-effective neurophysiological stimulation tool. It therefore stresses its usefulness for psychophysiological research and for potential therapeutic and non-therapeutic approaches to improve neurocognition. Future protocols should account for heart rate bias.

ABSTRACT. The last few years have witnessed a rapid development of new technologies, which has forced the use of new media in every aspect of life. In public places, it is not uncommon to see young people staring at their phone screens. Nor is it uncommon to see young mothers taking care of children and using a cell phone at the same time. Many studies show that being constantly online has negative effects on many spheres of life. The main aim of the diary study was to analyze the impact of mothers’ use of smartphones in the presence of children on the children’s ability to delay gratification. The sample size was N = 90. The participants were mothers of children aged 1–3 years. They were instructed to answer the questions that would be sent to their mobile phones every day, for 14 consecutive days. We used the Distraction in Social Relations and Use of Parent Technology Scale, the Modified Delayed Gratification Inventory, and the Daily Mood Measure, where mothers rated the items as describing their child and as referring to themselves (self-rating). We found that children’s and mother’s positive emotions were mediators in the relationship between parental phubbing and children’s ability to delay gratification. Parental phubbing was negatively related to mother’s happiness, and since mother’s happiness was positively correlated with children’s happiness, this translated into children’s lower delay of gratification. Conversely, a low level of parental phubbing was positively related to mother’s happiness, which was positively correlated with children’s happiness and thus increased children’s delay of gratification. The results may help understand the meaning of parental phubbing in a child's life.

ABSTRACT. Language serves as a crucial function for humans as it enables verbal communication and involves abilities like the expression and comprehension of phonological, semantic, and syntactic components. According to the Embodied Cognition approach, cognitive processes, including language, are based on multimodal representations whose inputs derive from activation of sensory and motor systems. Based on the involvement of the motor system in linguistic processing, confirmed by increasing neuroscientific evidence, empowerment interventions should be designed following a "neuroscience-based" strategy in which language is acted upon by stimulating the motor system. Nevertheless, there is still a lack of tools for testing and training language abilities through the involvement of motor representations. To fill this gap, the present study aimed at recording and validating a set of videotaped actions to be used in anomia rehabilitation protocols. Furthermore, to exploit the established effect of immersive virtual reality on the sense of embodiment, we aimed at producing, other than standard 2D videos, an egocentric spheric version of the video stimuli to be observed through a virtual reality head-mounted display. In this type of videos, the egocentric view allows the user to observe the virtual world from a first-person perspective, while the stereoscopic vision and continuous updating of the scenario congruently with the user’s head and body movements increases the subjective experience both in terms of embodiment and self-attribution of the action being performed by the subject in the video. We hypothesized that the connection between the motor and linguistic systems would be enhanced by the first-person perspective. First, we built 80 short sentences including a verb with a first singular person, taken from a common action verb list, and an object. The sentences describe everyday actions such as “I water the plants”. For each sentence, a spherical video has been recorded displaying the action in the first-person perspective. For this purpose, the camera was placed in the middle of the forehead of the actor performing the action. As a result, during the playback, the user has the impression of being the agent of that action. In addition, the same action has also been recorded from the third-person perspective in a standard non-spherical video. In watching this video, the user sees someone else performing the action. On the whole, the complete set of stimuli comprised 160 videos, 80 spherical and 80 standard videos, representing the same actions and objects. These stimuli have been tested in a validation study where two age-matched groups (N=40 healthy adults, Italian native speakers) watched either the spherical or the standard version of the videos. After each visualization, the participants were asked to name the represented action and object. Spontaneous productions were transcribed. Based on the response frequency of the alternative labels, a set of correct responses for each stimulus has been defined. According to our initial hypothesis, the comparison between video types revealed that naming was significantly more accurate in spherical egocentric videos than frontal. The creation of this validated set of videotaped actions and objects will allow researchers and clinicians to carry out embodied rehabilitation protocols to train naming abilities in aphasic patients.

ABSTRACT. Traditional behavioral and psychological assessment approaches include qualitative and quantitative measures. Although these tools have been well validated, they have some limitations that could lead to biases. Considering the limitations of traditional assessment methods, virtual reality (VR) proves to be very useful to improve assessment methods, since its characteristics allow simulating real experiences, which evoke high levels of presence and generate a more realistic perception in concrete situations, and besides, they facilitate the real-time collection of information regarding human behavior. As a response to contribute to this aspect of measurement and assessment based on virtual reality, the present study evaluates the use of virtual environments to assess psychological constructs based on Grawe's (2007) theoretical model, which attempts to explain the etiology of mental disorders and, in turn, mechanisms of integrative interventions. This paper describes the results obtained in a Mexican population derived from the validation of the virtual environments that make up the ATHENEA system in terms of the measurement of basic psychological needs in comparison with traditional assessment scales. Method: A total of 61 participants with a mean age of 35.6 (SD=10.03) of which there were 29 males and 31 females participated in the study. A battery of psychological tests were given which were focused on the four basic psychological needs proposed in Grawe's model. Following this, the interaction with the ATHENEA system began. It is worth mentioning that each of the 5 sessions had a duration of one hour, except for the third one, which required 90 minutes, during which a 15-minute break was taken 45 minutes after the session had begun. Results: Machine Learning models were built to assess the extent to which interaction with virtual environments is predictive of the psychological constructs assessed based on their accuracy and Cohen's Kappa. In the case of attachment, good results were obtained, where it can be seen that all subscales show an accuracy above 80%, as well as a Cohen's Kappa above .6, except for the subscale 3 (secure affection) which shows an kappa of .55. Regarding self-esteem, similarly, the different variables show good accuracy and adequate Cohen's Kappa, above 80% and .6 respectively. Regarding self-efficacy, the results obtained also show adequate models for the different variables, especially in attention (95% and .9), memory (94% and .87) and velocity (87% and .73). Finally, regarding the coping variables, despite presenting adequate scores for accuracy, low scores were obtained in terms of Cohen’s Kappa index, being the variables, which worst predict the constructs. Discussion: The present study aimed to investigate ecological assessment using virtual reality for psychological constructs based on Grawe's model in a Mexican population. In general, the results obtained show an adequate accuracy in terms of the recognition of these constructs through interaction with virtual environments compared to scales and subscales based on traditional assessment methods, which assessed the four basic psychological. Results suggest that the virtual environments developed to assess these constructs have great potential in terms of behavioral assessment through interactive actions, which provides a useful tool in the assessment of psychological constructs.

ABSTRACT. In the last years, the use of mobile applications (apps) represents a revolution in the field of health, and mental health is not an exception. They are fast, versatile, manageable tools that allow the empowerment of patients and professionals in health management and can even reduce the possible stigmatization suffered by some patients. There are more than 325,000 health apps on the market, but most of them do not have a significant number of downloads and, on the other hand, in most of the cases, there is no reliable information about its added value, impact or any scientific evidence that support its use.

There are several initiatives to define how health applications should be assessed. However, all of them address only partial aspects of the evaluation. The theoretical frameworks existing to date highlight the need to develop new tools and methodologies that allow to assess the different aspects of mobile applications whose objective is the management of specific pathologies.

The main objective of EvalDepApps project is to develop and pilot an assessment tool for mobile applications whose main objective is the treatment, monitoring or social support of people suffering from depression. To achieve this aim, the following actions have already been carried out:

a) Identification and characterization of existing apps in the market. Thirty health apps were identified and are available in the marketplaces but only 8 out of them (27%) were supported by scientific evidence. This result uncovers a need for further clinically oriented and systematic validation and testing of such apps. The study has been published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

b) Systematic review and Metanalysis to assess effectiveness and safety of mobile health (mHealth) interventions for treating depression, and to identify the criteria and evaluation tools used to assess these mobile health interventions. Twenty-nine RCT have been identified. They show that mHealth interventions are effective in managing depression. This effectiveness is clearly improved when health professionals related to mental health management have an active role in the intervention in a synchronous or asynchronous way. Those mHealth interventions that follow cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) seem to be more effective than other approaches. Several interventions include apps containing several elements (gamifications, feed-back messages, social networks). None of them seem to be a key element to improving the effectiveness of the intervention.

Currently, we are working on the identification of the domains and items that should be included when assessing mental health apps whose main aim is to manage depression according to the results of the stages a) and b). A Delphi process is being performed to reach consensus about which are the most important domains and items. A group of 20 healthcare professionals related to mental health management and 20 potential end-users are participating in this process. The results of the Delphi process will be a starting point for the co-design of the EvalDepApps tool through co-creation methodology.

ABSTRACT. Introduction. The advent of the Internet has led to the growth of e-commerce; this also increases the triggers for Compulsive Online Shopping (COS) for vulnerable individuals. COS was conceptualized as a form of behavioral addiction, and it refers to a problematic condition characterized by excessive concern about shopping, with a compulsive and uncontrollable need to buy that persists despite the negative consequences, damaging important areas of the subject's life. The literature concerning predictors of compulsive shopping had enlightened some risk factors, including boredom proneness, impulsivity, materialism and negative affect. More recently, the metacognitive model of addictive behaviors (Spada et al., 2015) posits that there are two types of metacognitions particularly salient in addictive behaviors: (i) positive metacognitions (i. e. the beneficial effects of engaging in addictive behavior to regulate cognition and affect) and (ii) negative metacognitions (i. e. the perception of the lack of executive control over engagement in the addictive behavior, uncontrollability of thoughts related to the addictive behavior and the negative impact of the engagement in the addictive behavior on cognitive functioning). A growing body of research have enlightened the role of positive and negative metacognitions as mediators between unpleasant cognitive/emotional states and behavioral addictions, including technological addictions, but no previous study has investigated the role of positive and negative metacognitions in COS. The current study aims to clarify the contribution of metacognitions concerning COS in the relationship between well-established predisposing psychological factors and COS. We tested a model where boredom proneness, impulsivity, materialism, and negative affect predict metacognitions about online shopping, which in turn predict COS. Method. A sample of 254 Italian participants (mean age = 34.79±11.45; age range = 19-75, Females = 84.3%) was recruited using a convenience sampling approach. A web link directed the participants to the study website, and if they consented to participate, they provided demographic information and online shopping habits, and compiled a battery of self-reports. No remunerative rewards were given. The following self-report measures were administered: The Boredom Proneness Scale–Short Form, the Barratt Impulsivity Scale, the Material Values Scale, the negative affect scale of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, the Metacognitions about Online Shopping Questionnaire, and the COS Scale. The proposed model was tested through path analysis. Results. The path analysis showed that the hypothesized model produced a good fit to the data [χ2 = 8.013, df = 6, p =.02; RMSEA [90%CI] =.04[.00-.09]; CFI = .99; SRMR =.04] and accounted for 48% of COS variance. All the predictors (i.e., boredom proneness, impulsivity, materialism and negative affect) were significantly and positively associated with positive metacognitions about emotional and cognitive regulation, which in turn positively predicted COS. Boredom proneness and impulsivity were positively associated with negative metacognitions about uncontrollability and cognitive harm of online shopping, which in turn predicted COS. All the indirect effects were significant. Additionally, boredom proneness predicted COS also directly. Discussion. The present findings add to the argument that metacognitive theory should be applied to the understanding of COS, akin to what has been done for other addictive behaviors. Individuals with high boredom proneness, impulsivity, materialism and negative affect might engage in COS since they hold specific beliefs about the ability of this activity in regulating unwanted thought and negative affects (i.e., positive metacognitions about emotional and cognitive regulation). Additionally, negative metacognitions about uncontrollability and cognitive harm may promote the perpetuation of COS. Providing intervention to distressed and boredom proneness people might be important not only for directly targeting these symptoms but also indirectly to prevent COS. Moreover, developing interventions aimed at the modification of the specific beliefs and metacognitions that lead to COS might be valuable.

ABSTRACT. Background: Autism Spectrum is a neurodevelopmental disorder, in which individuals may show intellectual disability, deficits of social communication and interaction, excessively repetitive behaviors, restricted interests and insistence on sameness. Children and adolescents with ASD constantly experience difficulties in their daily lives due to their lack of social skills such as interpreting social cues, empathy, and communicating effectively, limiting the ability to establish social relationships. These disabilities can lead to adverse childhood experiences such as social isolation, bullying, depression, anxiety, having social and academic negative impact. Considering that social skills are fundamental for the cognition development and adaptability of children, different innovative therapies have been established according to the different needs of children with ASD. A systematic review about the uses of cognition training technologies in the treatment of ASD, commonly reported that patients who used technology reported enjoyable therapies because it requires attention to detail, it is generally predictable, and is emotional-free. Additionally, studies about the effectiveness of Virtual Reality (VR) as a treatment for ASD, shows an improvement in activities in daily life and communication, especially social and emotional skills. Objective: The project aims to immerse children and adolescents with ASD, Social Anxiety and/or Selective Mutism in a VR school that mimics a real one, where they will train social skills under the guidance of a therapist. Method: The participants will be children and adolescents with ASD, Social Anxiety and/or Selective Mutism, aged between 8 and 15 years old. The system will use Unity Personal, powered by Unity Hub 3.4.1, for scene development and interaction design, and use C# style coding to develop interactive actions, and to record user behavior and analyze the data collected by the collector. Measure: The performance of the participants will be recorded by system automatically upon being notified. After proper preprocessing, the data will be analyzed using Social Anxiety Scale, Performance Anxiety State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE) And Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ). Procedures: The project will consist of a VR school, in which participants will train their social skills through six different activities, where they will have verbal dialogues with their parents, classmates and professors, create relationships with their peers, respond to tasks assigned by the teacher while having psychological intervention.

ABSTRACT. Introduction. Management dysfunction in schizophrenia is a major clinical and social issue. Deficiencies in attention, planning, or inhibition, as well as impairments in performing complex tasks, can negatively affect patients' quality of life. When assessing executive dysfunctions, several neuropsychological methods are being used. In this regard, the implementation of standard assessment tools and virtual reality (VR) settings is growing substantially. The main advantage of VR is to enable ecological validity while providing objective assessments, which may also complement those of standard tools. Among these tools, the virtual cooking task (VCT) is gaining momentum as an experimental multitask paradigm capable of assessing different cognitive functions. However, research using VCT in Schizophrenia is still very scarce, being further evidence still necessary to support clinical assessments. Accordingly, this study aimed to investigate the sensitivity of a novel VCT to assess cognitive functions as well as to predict clinical symptoms and daily functioning of a group of schizophrenia patients.

Methods. The sample was composed of n = 81 participants (n = 39 schizophrenia and n = 42 control) in the age range of 21-64. The groups did not significantly differ regarding age. Executive functions in selective attention, attention shifting, inhibition of control, cognitive flexibility, and planning were measured as the primary study outcome by specific computerized standard tasks (CST) and a novel VCT. Secondary outcomes primarily focused on whether the VCT predicted dimensions of daily functioning and negative symptoms. The CST included, the DOT probe task, the STROOP test, the Go-No go task, the Trail Making Test (TMT; with two parts A & B), and the Tower of London (TOLD). The VCT recreated a kitchen wherein participants implemented four tasks with increasing complexity. The tasks consisted in cooking five ingredients (carrots, courgettes, eggs, meat, and potatoes) within a scheduled time each while avoiding overcooking them (“burning”) or allowing them to cool down (both addressed attention shifting). The third and fourth tasks respectively included a Go-no Go “dressing” task and a table-setting task (planning). Participants completed the CST and VCT. The clinical group also completed the negative scale of PANSS (Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale) and FAST (Function Assessment Short Test) to assess daily-life functioning in six different domains (autonomy, occupational functioning, cognitive, financial, interpersonal relationships, and leisure).

Results. MANCOVAs for the CST and VCT (with age as a covariate) showed that, in general, the control group performed better. Specifically, controls were significantly better in the DOT, STROOP, GO-NO GO, and TMT B tasks, but not better in the TMTA and TOLX. Moreover, they were significantly faster in the VCT. Interestingly, a planning task defined by the table setting discriminated better control group performance. Importantly, results showed that, within the clinical sample, better planning measured by the VCT predicted better interpersonal scores by the FAST and lower negative symptoms by the PANSS.

Discussion. Findings support the VCT as a relevant experimental paradigm, sensitive to differences in executive functioning between control and schizophrenia samples. Notably, some VCT metrics seem useful in predicting core clinical dimensions. Rather than a substitute, the VCT has great potential to be a complementary measure to standard executive functioning tools. Nevertheless, future research might focus on improving the standardization of this novel methodology.

ABSTRACT. Introduction. Interacting with digital content has become an almost everyday behavior when using devices like smartphones, tablets, or touch monitors. Particularly, direct contact with valence-laden objects in the context of manual interactions is a very important natural setting in which valence evaluations have a crucial role to play. However, embodied interactions with affective digital objects have only been scarcely investigated from theoretical perspectives on cognitive and affective processing.

Goals. The work here (in progress) proposes a model of embodied affective interaction integrating three theoretical perspectives: (a) The near-hand effect hypothesis postulates that hand proximity to visual stimuli can intensify their attentional prioritization and processing; (b) Action planning paradigms in psychology indicate that action contexts are pivotal in the processing of stimulus characteristics, such as their emotional valence. For example, reach-to-grasp actions toward positive or negative stimuli can lead to different mental action representations (e.g., approach-avoidance). (c) the Body Specificity Hypothesis states that space-valence associations in terms of right-positive and left-negative are linked to the motor fluency of the dominant (right) hand. Prior studies show that valence evaluations of affective pictures can be in line with these associations when using interactive devices. However, a broader theoretical integration such as the one proposed here, is still missing. Accordingly, the work presents novel experimental paradigms based on touch interactions (i.e., reach-to-grasp) to investigate affective evaluations of emotional digital pictures. Experiment 1 will address lateral touch interactions (near-hand condition) with stimuli located at the right vs left margins of the touchscreen (pictures' affective spatial location) versus observing the stimuli (far-hand condition) displayed at the same affective locations. Experiment 2 will address lateral touch interactions with stimuli located at the center of the screen ( pictures' neutral spatial location) versus observing the stimuli. It is expected that touching (vs. observing) stimuli will lead to more intense evaluations (near-hand hypothesis). Moreover, compatibility effects are expected so that touching positive pictures to the right and negative pictures to the left will lead to more positive (and faster) evaluations than the inverse patterns (positive-left and negative-right -Space-valence association hypothesis).

Methods. Stimuli. Forty positive and forty negative pictures including social content (animals and people) and non-social content (objects and landscapes) will be retrieved from the Nencki Affective Picture System database (NAPS) and International Affective Picture System (IAPS). Two equivalent sets of pictures will be created to minimize learning effects. Apparatus. A large touchscreen monitor Dell S2340T will be used to emphasize the movements. Design. 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 design. Analyses will be performed by means of linear mixed models (LMM) with pictures and participants as random factors. Pictures’ Valence category (positive vs. negative), Interaction direction (right vs. left), and hand proximity (interaction vs. observation) will be manipulated within participants. The factor action context (“affective” spatial location vs "neutral" spatial location) will be manipulated between participants. Participants. Data simulations via R package simr estimated that for each experiment, a sample of n = 60 participants is appropriate to detect a medium effect size of d = .50 with a power of 1 - ß = .80. Measures. Self-reports: valence and arousal will be measured via grey-scaled sliders after each picture. The sliders will range from -50 to +50 but numbers won’t be displayed. Behavioral data: Release picture time and Touch time.

Results. Pictures’ description and selection analyses based on valence, arousal, and luminance are reported. Discussion. Findings will contribute to advance (a) theory on embodied interactions with affective digital content, and (b) potential benefits for digital interaction design such as mobile applications based on lateral movements. Funding. Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) Grant nr. 466076299

ABSTRACT. Introduction. Perceived self-efficacy (PSE), a concept developed by Bandura, refers to beliefs about people’s perceived ability to organize and execute a required course of action to achieve a specific result. PSE has an impact on efforts made to achieve goals, perseverance in the face of obstacles and resilience in the face of adversity. To increase an individual's PSE, positive past experiences, successful vicarious experiences, verbal encouragement and positively interpreted physiological states can be used. Studies have shown that PSE toward performing successfully in job interviews is associated with actual success of obtaining a job. Training for job interviews should therefore include strategies that strengthen PSE. In virtual reality (VR), candidates can practice job interviews in repetition, build multiple perspectives in answering questions, create personalized answers and select interviewers that trainees may perceived as unsettling (e.g., physical traits, stereotypes or implicit biases). This study aims to explore the effectiveness of embedding strategies to increase PSE in a job interview simulation in VR to increase PSE toward job interviews. Method. A total of 59 adults (62.7% female, 35.6% male, 1.7% non-binary) with a mean age of 29-year-old participated in the study. They were recruited from the general community and randomly assigned to one of three conditions: (a) reading a booklet about job interviews (control), (b) participating in a job interview in VR (JI-VR), or (c) participating in a job interview in VR with embedded stimulation of PSE (JI-VR-PSE). Participants had to select the interviewers they considered the most stressful or unsettling to lead the interview based on a set of 10 virtual characters. In the JI-VR intervention, the task consisted only in answering questions from the interviewers. In the JI-VR-PSE condition, interventions to strengthen PSE were provided with standardized feedback from the experimenter after the participant’s answered the questions. Self-reported measures of perceived self-efficacy toward job interviews and positive and negative affect (PANAS) were administered pre/post immersion. The Social Interaction Phobia Scale (SIPS) was administered at the beginning of the study to control for potential differences in social anxiety.

Results. A repeated measures ANCOVA with SIPS as covariable was performed on the PSE scale. No significant Time and Condition main effects were found (F(1,55) = 0.62, p=0.44, partial eta-squared = .01 and F(1,55)=0.07, p=0.80, partial eta-squared = .0, respectively). However, the Time by Condition interaction effect was significant (F(2,55) = 3.2, p = 0.048, partial eta-squared = .1), which was followed by orthogonal interaction contrasts. The contrast comparing the control condition to the JI-VR condition was not statistically significant (t = -1.5, p = .14), but the contrast comparing the JI-VR condition and the JI-VR-PSE condition was statistically significant (t = -2.52, p = 0.015) and confirmed the increase in PSE toward job interview was higher in the JI-VR-PSE condition. A similar pattern of results was found for the positive affect scale of the PANAS. The time effect and condition effect were non-significant. The interaction effect was significant (F(2,55)=3.55, p=0.04, eta-square partial= 0.11). The contrast comparing the control and JI-VR groups was non-significant (t= 0.31, p=0.76). Difference between the JI-VR group and the JI-VR-PSE group was significant (t=-2.17, p=0.03).

Conclusion. Previous studies conducted on job interviews in VR have not examined the impact of strategies to strengthen PSE and compared it to simply being subjected to a virtual job interview. The present study documented the effectiveness of enhancing perceived self-efficacy with standardized feedback in job interview training. The results suggest that practicing the interview in VR provided the opportunity to select from a variety of interviewers that may be unsettling to trainees and strengthen self-efficacy with strategies implemented during the immersion.

ABSTRACT. Background: Recent longitudinal studies in youth have reported identified brain regions involved in prospective anxiety symptoms during adolescence, a vulnerable period for the onset of anxiety disorders. However, their predictive value has not yet been established. Individual prediction through machine-learning algorithms might help bridge the gap to clinical relevance through online self-questionnaires. Methods: All participant data originated from the IMAGEN database, an international consortium that includes neuroimaging data collected in community adolescents at age 14, as well as several online self-questionnaires evaluating mental disorders, emotional functioning and alcohol and substance consumption collected at ages 14, 18 and 23. Local ethics research committees approved the acquisition at each site. Participants with clinical anxiety at age 18–23 (N = 156) were investigated at age 14 along with healthy controls (N = 424). Self-questionnaire subscales relevant to anxiety phenomenology (including novelty-seeking, emotional symptoms, autonomy, accidents, distress, family, relocation, hopelessness, anxiety sensitivity, alcohol consumption, neuroticism, and extraversion) were selected a priori as features. Gray matter volumes were extracted from anatomical MRI images for a-priori selected frontomedial and subcortical regions of interest involved in anxiety. Age at baseline (in days) was also included to account for its potential interactions with other features, resulting in a total of 13 psychometric and 14 regional gray matter features at age 14. Three separate binary class prediction analyses were conducted. The first analysis was the prediction of any future anxiety (N = 156) vs. healthy controls (N = 424). The second analysis was the prediction of future generalized anxiety [GAD, a specific diagnosis] (N = 42) vs. healthy controls, and the third was the prediction of future multiple anxiety [≥ 2 future anxiety disorder diagnoses] (N = 42) vs. healthy controls. The three above-mentioned predictions were first conducted with the 27 features together, then only with the 13 psychometric features, and only with the 14 regional gray matter volume features, to evaluate their respective contributions. A voting classifier with Random Forest, Support Vector Machine and Logistic Regression algorithms was used to evaluate the predictive pertinence of gray matter volumes of interest and psychometric scores in the detection of prospective clinical anxiety. Shapley values were extracted for in-depth interpretation of feature importance. Results from this study were recently published in Molecular Psychiatry (Chavanne AV et al. (2023), https://doi-org.proxy.insermbiblio.inist.fr/10.1038/s41380-022-01840-z) but never presented in a conference. A supplementary prediction study was also conducted to explore the incremental predictive contribution of neurofunctional features extracted from an emotional face task with a Random Forest ensemble classification strategy, in N = 159 non-anxious participants later developing clinical anxiety at age 18-23 and N = 428 healthy controls at age 14. Results: Prospective prediction of pooled anxiety disorders and of multiple anxiety disorders relied mostly on psychometric features such as neuroticism, hopelessness and emotional symptoms, and achieved moderate performance. GAD prediction achieved similar overall performance. MRI regional volumes and fMRI features did not improve the prediction performance of prospective pooled anxiety disorders with respect to psychometric features alone, but the former improved the prediction performance of GAD, with the caudate and pallidum volumes being among the most contributing features. Conclusion: In non-anxious 14-year-old adolescents, future clinical anxiety onset 4–8 years later could be individually predicted. Psychometric features assessed online such as neuroticism, hopelessness and emotional symptoms were the main contributors to pooled anxiety disorders prediction. Neuroanatomical data, such as caudate and pallidum volume, proved valuable for the prediction of a specific anxiety diagnosis (GAD). The individual-level predictive value of neuroimaging features, particularly neurostructural data, still invites further investigation.

ABSTRACT. Introduction : The Uncanny Valley is depicted by the drop of the affinity felt by a person when the anthropomorphism of an avatar is high. It is the feeling of rejection towards an android that is physically too similar to a human being (MacDorman, 2019). With a multimodality (visual and auditory) approach, we seek to understand the causes of this feeling with predictors such as : Sociability, Animacy, Agency and Disturbance.

Materials and Methods : Pre-testing : (6 Participants : 3 women, 3 men). Several strategies to introduce uncanniness in vocal communication were examined. According to the results of pretesting, 5 seconds stunts are the most disturbing. Tests : (40 participants) A video of one of the conditions was shown to the participants and in each of them, the visual (human face/ with a robot face filter) and the speech (without stunts/ with stunts) were manipulated. At the end, they answered the « Human-Robot interaction Scale » with a Likert scale (Spatola et al., 2011). Data was processed with Jamovi.

Results : For the sociability, the animacy and the disturbing look of the avatar, a principal significatif effect of the voice is present. About the agency, we observed a marginal effect. In opposition of our initial hypothesis, the visual appearance doesn’t seem to have a principal and significatif effect, as well as the interaction effect.

Conclusion: Based on the results, we cannot determine whether or not multimodality has an effect on the feeling of rejection caused by the Uncanny Valley. The effect of the voice on the feeling of rejection is surprisingly important.

ABSTRACT. Virtual reality (VR), as synthetic 3D environment generated by a pc, in which a person can navigate and interact with objects present within the simulation, has gained the interest of researchers from different disciplines in the last 20 years. The potential of this medium still needs to be fully exploited, and one of the most unexplored domain concerns VR as an affect or emotion-induction technique. Increasing evidence has unveiled the potential of synthetic environments for conveying even complex emotions, mainly depending on the illusion of being really ‘present’ within the simulation, that is, the individuals’ sense of presence. Sense of presence is a multifaceted phenomenon including different psychological and technological variables. Realistic simulations, immersive and interactive environments can convey high sense of presence, which emerged as closely related to a wide array of affective and emotional states, as psychological factors. With this regard, the affect/emotions-presence link emerged as not fully dependent on technological features. It was suggested that these mixed findings could mainly depend on the high heterogeneity of methods employed as well as on the different definitions of emotions, affect and mood adopted in studies investigating the link between presence and emotions in virtual environments. For instance, realism has been operationalized in various ways. Kwon, Powells, Challmers (2013), who exposed participants to avatars featuring an increasing level of graphical realism during a job interview and measured affect and presence as ‘mental immersion’, did not find a linear link between anxiety (as a negative arousing affect) and graphical realism of the virtual avatar, but they reported a high correlation between anxiety and the sense of presence. Other works, relying on a different conceptualization of realism, did not find significant differences between emotions elicited by a real and an equivalent realistic virtual natural content, except from the complex emotion of awe. Moreover, also mixed findings emerged in relation to immersion, defined as the extent to which a user is fully immersed and sensorially surrounded in a virtual environment (Coelho, 2006). As suggested by Diemer (2015), immersion may impact on emotions depending on the nature of the emotional state itself. Therefore, a more accurate operationalization of emotions (vs. affect), as well as a shared definition of technological features of realism and immersion can be a crucial step to significantly advance the understanding of emotion-presence link. The goal of this work is to unpack presence in terms of realism (high vs. low) and immersion (3D vs. 2D), in order to explore their unique contribution in eliciting discrete emotions. Specifically, following a within-subject design, participants are exposed to the same interactive synthetic blooming green scenario developed using photogrammetry (tree-lined landscape) – since nature is as a renowned elicitor of emotional states - either featured with high vs. low realism in a 3D vs. 2D format. Participants’ discrete emotional states are measured using AESTHEMOS (for aesthetic emotions) and single items (Chirico et al., 2020), their sense of presence is assessed using ITC-SOPI Inventory. Previous level of expertise, dispositional emotions (DPES) and desire for aesthetic appreciation (DFAS) are measured. Connectedness with nature is assessed using Mayer and Frantz’s (2004) scale. To evaluate an individual’s dispositional tendency to be emotionally aroused by nature’s beauty, it is also administered the Engagement with natural beauty scale developed by Diessner et al. (2008) In addition, the Nature Relatedness Scale (Nisbet et al., 2009) is used to measure the affective, cognitive, and experiential connection with nature. In this pilot exploratory study, we expect highly intense emotions in the most realistic and immersive condition compared to the others. Data collection is ongoing.

ABSTRACT. Currently, we are on the edge of a revolution in the field of human sciences, in which, through the use of digital technologies and computational models, it is possible to manipulate, study, and predict human experiences on a variety of levels: perceptual, cognitive, semiotic, and emotional. In spite of the fact that, anecdotally, it may appear that almost everyone understands the concept of emotion, the scientific definition of this notion is still open for debate. Moreover, extended reality poses a variety of challenges regarding the nature of affect and emotion. It is still unknown how affect and emotions arise in extended and artificial reality (versus induced by real stimuli), their relationship with the concept of presence, their neurophysiological foundation, and how they affect individuals' attitudes, behaviors, and well-being. Nowadays, with the rise of the social side of VR, often referred to as the "Metaverse", new questions about emotions arise. Specifically, the Metaverse may not simply be viewed as an assembly of technologies or a novel medium or as a "virtual twin" of reality. The Metaverse aspires to be more. And, if the Metaverse exists in continuity with the experience of the real, sometimes it replaces it, it integrates with it, it merges with it, it could be useful to adopt novel approach to study this evolving phenomenon or set of phenomena. However, if this is the case, two issues arise. First, to what extent and for what reasons should scientists today focus on the emotional aspects of human experience: Cui prodest? Secondly, what should be the methodology behind this approach.

Maybe an entire specialized field of research fully focusing on these aspects is needed.

Some examples of urgent research questions in this novel field can be: Are emotions elicited in simulated spaces equivalent to those induced in real life or by means of other techniques or media? Or should we start a debate on the exclusive nature of affect and emotions in extended reality? Do these new forms of reality enable scientists to unveil the real nature of emotional and affective processes in an original and meaningful way? Why simulating emotions and affect?

The symposium will fulfill three main goals: 1) To outline and promote the study of emotions and affect elicited in different forms of extended reality, starting from their nature, to unveiling their impact on individuals at the cognitive, behavioral, perceptual level in clinical and general population. 2) To aggregate previously scattered contributions on emotions and affect in any form and domain of extended and artificial reality for the advancement in the study of the facets of human affective experience. 3) To define the boundaries of a potentially new field of research on emotions.

ABSTRACT. Virtual reality (VR) technology allows for the creation of highly controlled and immersive environments that can be used to study a wide range of psychological variables. The ability to manipulate visual, auditory, and haptic stimuli in a virtual environment allow researchers to study behavior, cognition, and emotions in ways that would be difficult or even impossible in the real world. Furthermore, VR technology allows for the precise measurement of physiological and behavioral responses in real time, which enables the examination of dynamic processes. Practically, VR offers a powerful tool for studying psychological variables in both time and space and has the potential to contribute significantly to our understanding of human behavior, cognition, and emotion, over time. Despite the many advantages of using VR to study psychological variables in time and space, there are still some limitations to consider when using VR in empirical research. One major limitation is that methodological protocols for studying state or space models or other useful mathematical or statistical methods have not been extensively used or developed in VR research. In fact, the use of state or space models in VR research is still in its infancy, and there is a need for more research to develop appropriate methods for collecting and analyzing data in VR environments. Moreover, notwithstanding VR is often represented as a space - with the virtual environment being a spatial representation of the real world - studies that use VR technology do not always consider the different geometry in the VR architecture. In fact, one important aspect to consider would be the concept of Minkowski distance, which is a measure of distance between two points in a space that can take into account the geometry of that space. In mathematical terms, Minkowski distance is a generalization of the Euclidean distance, which is commonly used to measure the distance between two points in a Euclidean space. It can be derived by using a norm, which defines the length of a vector, and it can be used in spaces with non-Euclidean geometry. In VR studies, Minkowski distance may be useful for measuring the distance between two points in the virtual environment, taking into account the non-Euclidean geometry of the virtual space. For example, when studying navigation in VR, it may be important to consider Minkowski distance to accurately measure the distance an individual has traveled in the virtual environment. It's a useful tool for analyzing an individual's behavior in the virtual environment, especially when the virtual environment is not Euclidean, such as a city with buildings, obstructing a Euclidean path. Thus, while VR technology is represented as a space, it is important to consider the different geometry in the VR architecture, specifically the concept of Minkowski distance and its derivation. This can provide a more accurate measure of distance and behavior in virtual environments and can help to better understand the dynamics of human behavior in VR. Overall, while VR technology offers a powerful tool for studying psychological variables in time and space, there is still much work to be done in terms of developing appropriate methodological protocols and understanding the limitations and potential confounds of VR research. In my talk, I will provide practical examples and the reasons for which we need to consider new methods and new statistical tools related to time and space when we conduct VR research. Data and codes will be provided in open access to allow practical use to the VR research community.

ABSTRACT. Background. Savoring, which refers to “the capacity to attend to, appreciate and enhance the positive experiences in one’s life” (Bryant & Veroff, 2017, p. XI), has been shown to be crucial for mental health. According to the previous literature (Colombo et al., 2021; Van Roekel et al., 2019), positive emotions and savoring reciprocally influence each other. More specifically, individuals are more likely to increase the use of positive up-regulating strategies over time when feeling in a bad mood which, in turns, increases subsequent levels of positive affect. In other words, savoring might be considered as a highly adaptive mechanism that makes it possible to compensate for the lack of positive emotions by engaging in savoring strategies. Not surprisingly, depression has been associated with abnormal positive emotional functioning, characterized by both low levels of positive affect and impaired use of strategies to upregulate positive emotions. Although a growing body of research has explored positive emotion regulation impairments in depression, still little is known about the specific mechanisms that are affected in the daily regulation of positive emotions in individuals suffering from depression. The aim of the present investigation is to shed new lights on the mechanisms underlying impaired daily savoring in depression by using an Ecological Momentary Assessment design (EMA). We hypothesize that:(1) the aforementioned prototype of positive emotion regulation might not work in depression, so that low levels of positive emotions will not predict a subsequent increase in the use of savoring strategies in depressed individuals;and (2) low self-efficacy and a reduced preference for positive emotions might predict a reduced use of savoring strategies and enhanced implementation of dampening ones, thus partially explaining impairments in the regulation of positive emotions in depression. Methods. Sample: Our planned analyses with the higher risk to be underpowered consist in correlating between-individual differences in depression with between-individual differences in indicators of the interplay between positive emotions and savouring. If, by convention, we consider r = 0.15 as a weak correlation and r = 0.30 as a moderate correlation, then r = 0.225 indicates a weak-to-moderate correlation. To identify effects of this size with 80% power and statistical significance level at 0.05, a number of 152 participants will be recruited. Since data collection is still ongoing, we will present the preliminary results from 70 participants. Importantly, since between-individual differences in depression are distributed along a continuum (Beck et al., 1996) and are not dichotomous, we won’t specifically recruit individuals with a diagnosis of Major Depressive Rather, the level of depression will be assessed for each participant using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and used as a moderator in all the analyses. Design: Based on the previous literature (Vanderlind et al., 2022), we will conduct a 14-day EMA study. Participants will be prompted 6 times a day on their smartphone through a mobile application, asking about their current affect and savoring-related variables (strategies, self-efficacy, emotional preference). Data analysis: To examine the temporal relationship between affect, emotion preference and self-efficacy at a given time (t0) and the subsequent implementation of savoring strategies (t1), as well as savoring at a given time (t1) and the subsequent mood (t2), linear mixed-effects models containing one random intercept per participant will be estimated using maximum likelihood with the R “lmerTest” package (Kuznetsova et al., 2017) and taking into account the hierarchical nature of the data. In all models, depression will be included as a moderator variable. Conclusions. Shading new lights on the mechanisms underlying savoring in depression will allow to develop clinical targets to be addresses by psychological interventions.

ABSTRACT. Context: This study is part of a larger transdisciplinary research project in eMental health and eEducation. More specifically, this first study is aimed to identify and document eaters profiles in the general population in order to develop an online-based intervention which specifically responds to the characteristics and needs of the eaters profiles in terms of prevention of- and intervention on- dysfunctional eating attitudes and behaviors. To identify eaters profiles, we adopted the Machine Learning (ML) approach. ML approach may be more efficient than traditional regression analyses to discover relationships between body image disturbances and eating attitudes and behaviors. However, to the best of our knowledge, only few studies have adopted this approach to body perceptions and dysfunctional eating attitudes and behaviors. Method: A total of 317 participants completed an online-based survey including measures of body image dissatisfaction, bulimia, restraint, and intuitive eating. To analyse our dataset, we applied ML clustering algorithms and reasoning techniques. Results: Seven eaters profiles emerged from the ML analysis. The average scores of each profile for body image dissatisfaction, bulimia, restraint, and intuitive eating were compared to means scores reported by previous validation studies. A continuum of eaters’ profiles is presented as the result of the comparison of profiles’ means to normative means for each variable included in this study. Four categories emerged. The first category, which could be placed at dysfunctional pole of the continuum, includes two eaters’ profiles characterized by high levels of body dissatisfaction and severely dysfunctional eating attitudes and behaviors. These two eaters seem to be disconnected from their physical sensations of hunger and satiety, and to eating for reasons other than physicals. The second category includes two eaters who are less dissatisfied with their body, but who still present a problematic relation between their internal body sensations and their eating attitudes and behaviors. The third category includes only one eater profile. This eater experiences high body dissatisfaction and presents difficulties in connecting with their internal signals but does not engage in dysfunctional eating attitudes and behaviors. The fourth category includes two eaters profiles that could be placed at the functional pole of the eaters continuum. These two eaters report low body dissatisfaction, good levels of intuitive eating and low levels of restraint and bulimia. Conclusions: Despite the promising advantages of using ML approach applied to body perceptions and eating attitudes and behaviors, the number of studies using this approach is still scarce in the scientific literature. The present study provides a portrait of eating profiles, highlighting the presence of a risky patterns of attitudes and perceptions in a community population. Finally, the results of this study permitted to design and develop an online e-Health Education program specifically addressed to answer to the needs of the eaters profiles. This intervention program will be the object of the last presentation of the symposium.

ABSTRACT. Context: The thin female ideal is defined as the tendency, in Western cultures, “to idolise thin female body shape”. The subjective perceived discrepancy between one’s own body and the thin ideal gives rise to body dissatisfaction and risk of eating pathology. Recent technological advancements have been deployed to improve visual-perceptual methods to assess body image dissatisfaction and the thin ideal internalization. However, to the authors’ knowledge, the use of these advanced methods of assessment present limited generalizability since their validity has not been assessed in cross-countries studies. It has been suggested that some differences among societies exist, even between Western countries. However, cross-countries research on levels of body dissatisfaction and thin ideal internalization is limited and existing studies report inconclusive. Therefore, the objectives of this study were (1) to explore preliminary cross-country validity of a visual-perceptual method (based on a novel continuum of 18 virtual 3D bodies) to assess body image dissatisfaction and thin ideal internalization; (2) to examine potential differences and similarities in body image phenomena between women from Canada and Spain. Method: A total of 223 self-identified women participated in this cross-sectional study. Ideal, normal, and self-perceived body sizes were assessed through a visual-perceptual method, whereas body dissatisfaction was measured both with visual-perceptual method (VPBD) and questionnaire. In order to test objective 1, Pearson’s bivariate correlation analyses were used to explore the relationship between questionnaire body dissatisfaction and VPBD. Furthermore, one sample t tests and independent sample tests were also performed to explore the level and countries differences in terms of realism of the continuum of virtual 3D bodies. To test objective 2, mixed repeated measure ANOVAs and paired sample t test were computed to explore the discrepancy between normal vs ideal body size, normal vs self-perceived body size and ideal vs self-perceived body size, and if they differ according to the country. Results: VPBD was significantly correlated with questionnaire body dissatisfaction, suggesting a preliminary convergent validity between the two assessment methods. In addition, the novel 3D continuum of female virtual bodies was globally evaluated as realistic. Specifically, extremely thin body sizes were judged as the less realistic. Women from both countries desired a thinner body than their self-perceived body. Furthermore, participants’ ideal body was significantly thinner than their visual representation of a normal body size, indicating the presence of the thin ideal internalization, and this independently from participants’ country (effect size values for the differences between countries were mostly trivial according to Cohen’s criteria). Conclusion: This study suggests first evidence of the cross-cultural validity of a visual-perceptual assessment tool to evaluate body image phenomena in women of Western countries. The results of the current study confirm the presence of the “normative discontent”, and they suggest more cross-country similarities than differences in terms of body dissatisfaction and thin-ideal internalization among women from these two Western societies.

ABSTRACT. The COVID-19 emergency has notoriously adversely affected youth’s mental health, leading to a dramatic increase of clinically relevant psychological suffering (mood disorders, eating behavior disorders, sleep and loneliness, social withdrawal, etc.) due to affective maladjustment and an increase in emotional dysregulation. Youth mental health apps hold unique potential for support of this vulnerable population while also posing several issues related to the assessment of their quality, usability and acceptance. Also, despite over 20 years of research in Positive Psychology interventions, the growing number of m-health apps is mostly dedicated to alleviate psychopathological aspects, rather than contributing to well-being. Within the ErasmusKA220 transnational European project, a novel digital app for youth wellbeing has been proposed, developed and tested. The target population is composed of young people aged 16 to 25 experiencing challenges in turning to mental healthcare services because of fewer psychosocial opportunities (such as isolation, socio-economic issues, disabilities) and emotional barriers in seeking help due to real and perceived stigma. The innovative features of this app include: (a) a more inclusive target population, (b) use functions involving both youth and adults, (c) a psychological framework oriented to a full emotional wellbeing, (d) evidence-based and theory-driven Human - Centred design. Moreover, the app is both for individual use and for use as a tool by youthworkers. At the theoretical level, the psychological framework combines well-established constructs from Socio-Emotional Learning (e.g., self-awareness of emotional valence and arousal), the evidence-based third-wave Cognitive-Behavioural approach of ACT - Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Training (especially as regards acceptance and defusion of difficult emotions; value-based committed action and Mindfulness), and Positive Psychology (especially for the Strengths-based training). The aim is to increase emotional literacy as a prerequisite for emotion management, and to offer strategies to deal with difficult emotions and strengthen positive emotions and behaviours. Stakeholders were able to produce ideas and solutions based on users' needs and plan the implementation of health strategies, which allows to overcome three main limitations in numerous existing models that guide the design of digital health interventions: the gap in user involvement, the separation between content developers and app designers and the lack of personalization available, e.g., visual interface. The UCSC team started with a bench-marking analysis of m-health apps, a systematic review of mobile apps supporting adolescents and young adults’ mental health and a Systematic Review of Positive Psychology Apps for youth. After carrying out dedicated national and international focus groups both with young people and with youthworkers, researchers have creatively formulated its concept, based on the metaphor of ship navigation, in which the app user identifies with the captain, the ship with his/her own identity, the voyage with a flexible path of personal growth starting from emotional self-awareness (through a mood-tracking activity in the mirror on the deck) to emotional self-regulation through activities suggested (Psychoeducation, Skill building, Gamification, Personalization, Self-Monitoring) in three possible destinations, each with a precise psychological function: the Land of Resilience, the Island of Strengths, in the Safe Harbour. A support site will offer extra psychoeducational and research materials. The continuous project team interaction between the psychologists, the researchers and the developers has allowed gradual refinement to achieve a great minimum viable product in line with the requirements of engagement, functionality, aesthetics, information as well as perceived impact. The prototype version - translated into 5 European languages – will undergo a pre-post, mixed-methods evaluation on its usability and acceptance by youth and youthworkers, using validated questionnaires, open-ended questions, focus groups. Data collection is ongoing not yet completed.

ABSTRACT. Introduction Photo Investment (PI) is a recent construct defined as individual emotions and concerns related to photo quality and how photos portray the person, and the efforts expended in choosing self-photos before sharing them on social networks (McLean, Paxton, Wertheim, Masters, 2015). The study of PI is at an early stage. Studies showed higher levels of PI among females than males (Lonergan, et al., 2019; Mingoia, Hutchinson, Gleaves, & Wilson, 2019). Research on PI mainly focused on its association with body satisfaction highlighting that higher levels of PI are associated with higher body-dissatisfaction (McLean, et al., 2015; Lonergan, et al., 2019). Recent studies focused on other photo-related constructs (i.e. photo-editing, selfie-posting) found also associations with self-esteem and personality traits (narcissism and extraversion) (Wang, 2019; Lau, & Idang, 2022; Guo, et al., 2018). In literature no studies have investigated the association between PI and both body-related constructs and personality traits yet. The present study aims at investigating the role of body-esteem in terms of Appearance (general feelings about appearance), Attribution (others’ evaluation of one’s own body) and Weight (weight satisfaction), self-esteem and personality traits (i.e., Narcissism, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Openness, Conscientiousness, and Neuroticism) in explaining photo investment in a sample of Italian young adults controlling for gender. Method Participants were 420 Italian young adults (males=35%, females=65%) aged 18-30 (M=23.64; S.D.=2.70). After providing their informed consent participants completed an online survey. We used: the Photo investment scale (McLean, et al., 2015; 10 items, α=.85) to assess individual emotions and concerns about photo posting; the Body-esteem scale (Confalonieri et al., 2008; 23 items, α=.86, α=.66, α=.90) to assess self-perceptions of one’s own body; the Self-esteem Scale (Prezza et al., 1997 ; 10 items, α=.88) to assess self-perception one’s own value; the Italian adaptation (Fossati, et al., 2008) of the abbreviated version of the Narcissistic Personality Inventory to assess grandiose narcissism (16 items, α=.73); the Big Five Inventory (Ubbiali et al., 2013; 44 items, α=.86, α=.69, α=.81, α=.81, α=.81) to assess Extraversion, Agreeableness, Openness, Conscientiousness, and Neuroticism.

Results Preliminary bivariate correlations were conducted showing that Photo Investment correlated with Appearance (r=-.498**), Weight (r=-.309**), Self-esteem (r=-.372**), Extroversion(r=-.216**), Conscientiousness (r=-.171**), and Neuroticism (r=.345**). Then a hierarchical regression analyses was conducted including only the variables that correlated with Photo Investment. We entered sex in the first step as a controlling variable, Appearance and Weight in the second step, followed by Self-esteem, Extroversion, Conscientiousness, and Neuroticism in the third step. Photo Investment was the dependent variable. Results showed that sex (β=.213, p < .001), Appearance (β=-.361, p < .001) and Self-esteem (β=-.138, p = .006) significantly explained Photo Investment (F(3,406)= 58.218, p < .001).The model explained 30% of the variance of the dependent variable (R2=.301).

Conclusion We believe that this study is a precious contribution since in literature there are few contributions on Photo Investment and there are no studies carried out in the Italian context. Moreover, the relationship between Photo Investment together with body-related constructs and individual characteristics has never been explored. Findings showed that within the sample young adults with a good general feeling about their appearance and about their own value are less concerned about their photo posting. This suggests that emotions and concerns related to photo posting of young adults are in general linked to individual evaluation about the self and in particular about body appearance. A further discussion of the data will be provided during the presentation distinguishing between males and females.

ABSTRACT. Stefano De Gaspari, Elena Sajno, Daniele Di Lernia, Giulia Brizzi, Maria Sansoni, Giuseppe Riva

A great deal of research has been conducted in relation to the concept of 'break in presence' (BIP) coined by Slater. Break in presence refers to a condition in which a person immersed in a virtual reality environment becomes disengaged from it, due to certain factors, and tends to become aware of and interact with the reality around him rather than the VR environment in which he is immersed. BIP can be generated due to sensory errors produced within the virtual reality environment as well as by sensory stimuli from outside. Internal errors can correspond to when objects or VR environments behave inconsistently (e.g., chessboards floating or objects falling without making a sound) while external errors can be generated by reality stimuli that are perceived by the person while immersed in a VR experience (e.g., noises or changes in temperature). These errors or external stimuli affect the process of multisensory integration, i.e. a process in which the brain combines information from different sensory signals into a single coherent perception. These factors, underlying BIP, influence multisensory integration by generating multisensory conflicts. Furthermore, several BIP-related studies have analysed the physiological responses (e.g. ECG, GSR) of users in relation to these BIPs and have revealed that there is a correlation between physiological responses and this phenomenon. Full Body Illusion (FBI) corresponds to a paradigm in which the person, within a virtual reality environment, experiences two conditions of multisensory (visual-tactile) stimulation. In one condition the multisensory stimulation is synchronous, while in the other condition the stimulation is asynchronous. Asynchronous stimulation generates multisensory conflicts that may, again, underlie BIP. Machine learning (ML) is a key technology for the classification of physiological parameters, as it allows us to analyse large amounts of data and identify patterns to predict and classify the health status of individuals. In this study, we aim to use ML to classify physiological data (ECG) and identify multisensory conflicts, which underlie BIP, during a Full Body Illusion (FBI). We started collecting data with 15 female participants (mean age = 22, SD = 0.59). They were offered an FBI experience while we recorded their ECG tracing during the whole session. We intend to develop a ML model to classify the collected physiological parameters so that the ML model will be able to identify from these the multisensory conflicts underlying BIP, which should occur in the asynchronous FBI condition. The raw ECG data, before becoming part of the machine learning training process, will undergo the pre-processing and segmentation phase. In the next step, physiological characteristics (features) will be extracted, which will serve as input for the machine learning classification algorithm. Once this part of data preparation is completed, the data will be used as a training and testing set for the machine learning, thus generating a classification of the physiological stimuli in relation to a condition of presence or non-presence of the multisensory conflict (i.e. the synchronous or asynchronous condition of the FBI). The resulting ML model will then be able to identify and classify the presence of multisensory conflict underlying BIP by analysing ECG tracings only. Since virtual reality is an increasingly used tool in a wide range of fields (e.g. clinical, educational, entertainment) a ML model capable of identifying the presence of multisensory conflicts underlying BIP, without any active intervention on the part of the user, could be useful in improving the quality of the experience in virtual reality as it facilitates the identification of those factors that may negatively influence the experience.

ABSTRACT. Peer exclusion refers to the condition in which an individual feels excluded or rejected by peers or peer groups in the school context. As immediate outcome, it leads to negative mood. Previous literature pointed out that peer exclusion can be operationalized in an experimental design by means of the Cyberball paradigm. Through the Cyberball paradigm the perception of being excluded can be altered, hereby manipulating mood and psychological needs in children and adolescents. However, in recent years, research in educational psychology verified that Virtual Reality (VR) is an effective paradigm to assess the role of school context on children’s outcomes. VR, as 3D paradigm, can work better in order to replicate the reality, achieving a higher ecological validity, amplifying or refining the current findings to understand the mechanisms through which peer exclusion exerts its effect on children and adolescents. Using a virtual environment, children and adolescents can perceive the situation they are experiencing as more realistic and then peer exclusion outcomes would become more realistic as well. Consequently, VR, compared to 2D paradigms, presents a higher ecological validity as it allows for a more realistic situational experience to achieve the same effects of social exclusion in ordinary life. Basing on these evidence, the main focus of this research, a PhD project’s first study ongoing and approved by the University of Bologna’s Ethical Committee, is the comparison among a 2D and a 3D paradigm. As both paradigms showed effectiveness within educational contexts but only Cyberball assessed peer exclusion in school context with children and adolescents, the main aim of this PhD project’s first study is to compare peer exclusion effects in children and adolescents after the experience of being excluded by means of the Cyberball paradigm and an experimental peer exclusion situation built by means of VR. Therefore, we aim to find the most effective paradigm, either Cyberball and VR, assessing peer exclusion. We aim to recruit a sample including at least 150 children and adolescents aged 8-16 and bring them to the lab. Once in the lab, children and adolescents will experience two peer exclusion situations by means of the two different experimental paradigms (Cyberball and VR). The two paradigms will be administered randomly and counterbalanced to all participants. Specific self-report measures will be administered before and after every exclusion condition, in order to assess the variation of participants’ mood and psychological needs. We expect to find after both the experimental situations a negative outcome regarding participants’ mood and need satisfaction, as indispensable condition assessing the effectiveness of both the peer exclusion paradigms used. As previous studies using VR showed a big impact of VR experience in school context due to higher ecological validity compared to 2D paradigms, we expect that a VR version of the peer exclusion paradigm will be more effective than the classic 2D version (i.e., displayed on a computer screen), showing a bigger impact on children and adolescents’ exclusion perception, mood and psychological needs. We also hypothesize to find differences regarding gender and age, expecting to find stronger effects on females and adolescents aged 13-16. Moreover, we expect to find moderation effects provided by social support and previous rejection experiences, measured by means of specific self-report measures filled before the beginning of the study, showing that higher support provided by parents, teachers and friends, and lower levels of previous rejection experiences can act as buffer against peer exclusion outcomes. As the main goal of this first study is to find the most powerful paradigm assessing peer exclusion, this one will be used to manipulate peer exclusion in the following studies of the PhD project mentioned before.

ABSTRACT. The use of virtual reality as a tool for inducing altered states of consciousness and enhancing human introspection is a rapidly growing area of research with potential applications in several fields. In our studies, we aimed to investigate the effects of virtual reality induced alterations in state of consciousness on cognitive flexibility and creativity. Creativity can be defined as the ability to generate new and valid ideas (where the "validity" changes according to the context in which creativity is expressed). Cognitive flexibility is instead the ability of people to act in a non-automatic way, in contrast to the propensity to follow pre-packaged behavioral patterns, adapting flexibly to what is required moment by moment in the pursuit of goals. In this presentation, we discuss two behavioral studies in which participants were (experiment 1) exposed to virtual reality panoramic videos and their hallucinatory-like counterparts generated by the DeepDream algorithm, as well as (experiment 2) virtual reality cave environments which they could explore and move freely, while performing a number of tests. In experiment 1, the participants were immersed for a few minutes in three-dimensional virtual environments processed with DeepDream, which is an algorithms that transforms an initial image and introduce a sort of algorithmic pareidòlia, that is, creating visual forms with meaning (for example, animals), but starting from random forms (for example, the contour of a cloud). In the resulting image, therefore, a dreamlike aspect is created that reminds a psychedelic experience, in particular in the propensity to see images of animals superimposed on ordinary reality. Immediately after the immersion in this environment, the participants underwent several psychological tests, which measured their creative abilities and their cognitive flexibility abilities. Following comparisons with control conditions, the results clearly showed that, after immersion in psychedelic environments simulated in virtual reality, individuals showed a reduced propensity to follow automatic behaviors, and an increase in creative abilities and dynamics in their decision-making processes. In essence, the immersive experience in an altered virtual reality improved their creative thinking and cognitive flexibility, presumably due to a reorganization in cognitive dynamics that facilitated the exploration of uncommon decision-making strategies and inhibited automated choices. In experiment 2, we found the state of consciousness of the participant was significantly altered in the virtual cave along several dimensions when compared to the experience they had in a virtual open space environment (on the top of a mountain) , as we assessed with the 5-Dimensional Altered States of Consciousness Rating Scale (5D-ASC). In particular, participants reported higher ratings in Arousal, Intensity, Spirituality and Imagery. The pareidòlia experience was also measured by asking the participants to report any unusual images or patterns that they observed in the virtual reality cave environments. The pareidòlia experience was found to be affected by the virtual reality cave environments, with participants reporting a higher frequency of unusual images and patterns in the virtual reality cave environments compared to the virtual open space environment. In conclusion, these studies explore and provide experimental evidence for the potential of virtual reality as a tool for inducing alterations in the state of consciousness that can enhance cognitive flexibility, creativity, and affect perceptual experience sensitive to states of consciousness, such as pareidòlia. The results of these studies can be used to develop virtual reality-based interventions for enhancing cognitive flexibility, creativity, and altered states of consciousness in various fields, including mental health, education, and training.

ABSTRACT. This symposium will cover three empirical research studies generated from a predominantly African American and Caucasian sample of non-clinical university students in the United States, who completed a battery of surveys focusing on fear of missing out (FoMO), social media use, technology dependence, internet-based coping, and exposure to perceived online racism. Independent studies were conducted to examine the potential moderating impact of resilience on technology dependence, the connection between interpersonal dependency and technology use and attitudes, and how personality may insulate or exacerbate the negative impacts of perceived online racism. This symposium will present the results from the primary investigators of each study, as well as the real-world implications of the results. Attendees will be exposed to cross-cultural differences observed within the United States and be invited to have open discussion and dialogue related to patterns and trends observed across international populations.

Talk 1: Interpersonal dependency, technology use and individual attitudes Talk 2: Transactional Coping: Can Resilience Moderate the Impact of Technology Dependence? Talk 3: Updating beliefs: How personality may influence perceived online racism

ABSTRACT. This workshop will focus on the approach taken by Norfolk State University (NSU) to design and deliver its master’s degree in cyberpsychology. This fully online program, housed at a public, urban, historically Black university in Virginia, USA, will be discussed from an administrative, curricular, and educational perspective. Emphasis will be placed on the steps required to bring a new graduate degree program to fruition (in Virginia, USA), the challenges both internally and externally with regards to getting approval and support to start such a program, the process of developing a 14-course/42 semester credit hour curriculum including both design and delivery obstacles, and what NSU has done to promote and recruit for the program. Emphasis will be given to the mechanisms embedded in the curriculum to ensure academic rigor and facilitate student research despite the overwhelming asynchronous nature of the program. The target audience for this workshop include a) university administrators looking to build novel academic degree programs where significant precedent for such a new program (such as a stand-alone cyberpsychology) does not already exist for a specific discipline, b) instructional designers who are involved in building online course and learning management system-specific elements of a fully online program, c) faculty who are considering how to build their own cyberpsychology program in the United States or otherwise, d) faculty teaching cyberpsychology courses at any level and tactics they can utilize to facilitate both student and instructor presence in the online classroom, and e) students interested in understanding how an online yet research-intensive program gets developed with non-traditional (and often non-psychology background) student needs in mind. The format for this workshop will include guided discussion with the audience, demonstration of course design and delivery components of the degree program, and small group discussion with the audience focusing on paths for a new program such as this to grow, prosper, and ultimately connect students with needs in the (global) workforce. The following learning objectives will be met by participation in this workshop: 1—Participants will learn the steps involved in bringing a new graduate degree program online (in Virginia, USA); 2—Participants will explore at least five curriculum design and delivery issues when developing a fully online program; 3—Participants will understand the administrative processes required to implement and begin to offer a new graduate degree program in cyberpsychology; 4—Participants will identify at least three best practices for teaching cyberpsychology curriculum in an asynchronous classroom environment; 5—Participants will be able to recognize at least three cultural or cross-cultural concerns to consider when building an interdisciplinary-focused graduate degree program; and 6—Participants will classify at least five methods of promoting and growing a graduate degree program in cyberpsychology.

ABSTRACT. In contemporary times, quality of life and well-being are constantly threatened by increasing levels of stress, together with dysregulation of mood, cognition, and behavior, which create a global health emergency in need of immediate attention. To address this, a new approach in cyberpsychology, known as Augmented Introspection (AIT), has emerged, aimed at enhancing/empowering human introspection - i.e., the ability to reflect on and explore one's own inner experiences and subjective states of mind. Traditionally, the field of neuroscience and psychology has focused on understanding how external stimuli, such as sight and sound, influence our behavior, cognition, and overall health. However, this approach neglects a vital aspect of human experience: the sense of our body from within, known as interoception. Interoception is the ability to perceive and interpret internal bodily sensations, such as heart rate, respiration, and hunger, and plays a crucial role in our overall well-being and health. The goal of Augmented Introspection is to design technologies and interactive digital experiences that improve people's ability to access, represent, and potentially alter their own internal psychological processes, judgments, perceptions, and states through self-reflection and insight. This approach aims to enhance self-awareness, self-transcendence, and decision-making, with potential applications in the fields of mental health, education and training, and everyday life. From this perspective, the interoceptive system represents a core component and a gateway to our health, therefore the development of scientifically-grounded technology, capable of accessing and manipulating this system would be a breakthrough, with unprecedented potential to promote human health and wellbeing. However, a major limitation of research has been the difficulty of developing technologies able to access and modulate the interoceptive system, in order to promote health and enhance well-being. Current attempts have either used invasive means such as: direct brain stimulation (Dimov, Toniolo et al. 2017); transcranial deep magnetic stimulation (Dinur-Klein, Dannon et al. 2014, Malik, Jacobs et al. 2018); and transcranial direct current stimulation (Sagliano, Magliacano et al. 2018); or require complex, fixed lab setups, without ecological applicability (Crucianelli, Metcalf et al. 2013, Ackerley, Backlund Wasling et al. 2014, Ogden, Moore et al. 2015, Ogden, Moore et al. 2015). In this brief overview, we will introduce the concept of interoceptive non-invasive stimulation, namely the stimulation of the interoceptive system with a series of non-invasive inputs that are directly processed by the interoceptive cortex, providing a variety of psychobiological effects. Following this perspective, we recently developed two different technologies namely Sonoception and iStim able to manipulate the interoceptive system, through non-invasive stimulation. This approach is supported by recent literature that “suggests that the accessibility of C-tactile afferent nerve endings and their fibers in mammalian hairy skin […] may provide an externally accessible experimental channel for the manipulation of interoceptive signaling in healthy humans” (Quigley, Kanoski et al. 2021). We will present these technologies, discussing their effectiveness in modulating the interoceptive system and human behavior at both cognitive, behavioral, cortical, and autonomic levels and we will review their application in the realm of Augmented Introspection.

ABSTRACT. With the COVID-19 pandemic, universities have turned to a variety of technology platforms to facilitate online synchronous learning, including video conferencing (VC) platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, and Teams. These platforms are easy to use, with features like screen sharing and video calls that help facilitate interaction and participation. However, this experience is limited. The lack of physical presence and the restricted opportunities for interaction make it more difficult for students to build social connections with their teachers and classmates, as they may not feel as connected as they would in an in-person class. This issue is known as the "social presence gap”. Social presence refers to the extent to which people feel that they are interacting with real people in an online or virtual environment, and it has been shown to promote students’ engagement, motivation, and knowledge retention in online learning. In this respect, Virtual reality (VR) social platforms like Spatial, MeetinVR, and Engage VR may offer advantages over traditional platforms by creating a more engaging and interactive environment, fostering proximity and connection among students, and leading to improved learning outcomes. Research on the use of VR social platforms for online learning is in its early stages, and studies are needed to explore its effectiveness in promoting students’ learning experience compared to more traditional solutions, such as VC platforms. This ongoing exploratory study aims to examine the impact of VR social platforms on students' learning experiences and to gain insight into students' perspectives on using VR for online learning using a mixed-methods design. For this purpose, we invited participants to attend two lectures, each delivered on a VC platform (Microsoft Teams) or a VR social platform (Spatial), both in a desktop-based format. Half of the participants attended the first lecture on the VC platform and the second on the VR social platform, while the other half had the opposite schedule. For each group, the two lessons were scheduled at the same time for two consecutive days. The same teacher conducted the two lessons using the same slide-based materials. After each lesson, a survey was administered to assess students' social presence, emotional experience and perceived ease of use of the two platforms. After completing both lectures, participants were invited to join an unstructured in-depth interview to share their experiences using the two platforms. Preliminary results (n=14) revealed no significant difference in social presence between the two platforms, but the VR social platform elicited more positive emotions (enjoyment, awe, and interest) and less boredom than the VC platform. The unstructured in-depth interview helped us gain insights into the quantitative data by indicating that most students found the VR social platform more interesting and engaging than the VC platform. Still, they preferred the VC platform for learning as they found they were more familiar with it and found it easier to use. VR social platforms represent a future area of application of online education, offering new opportunities for more interactive and engaging learning. Therefore, expanding our understanding of how these platforms may facilitate teacher-student and peer-to-peer social relations and promote learning outcomes is crucial. Further research is needed to validate these findings and to further explore the impact of VR social platforms on learning outcomes.

ABSTRACT. Background: According to the World Health Organization, in 2015, 3.6% of the world's population suffered from anxiety disorders (World Health Organization, 2017). Research has shown that mindfulness meditation may be considered a viable mechanism to mitigate this growing trend (Abott et al., 2014). Despite the well-recognized benefits of mindfulness practice, its traditional format has been associated with two main challenges. The first is that meditators generally report having difficulty staying still, being fully present, and focusing attention on their breathing or other exercises (Navarro-Haro et al., 2017). The second is that they often question themselves if they are "doing it right," since they have nothing compared to their actual internal experience other than the serenity they expect from the practice. Therefore, no objective feedback to evaluate these experiences are provided (Morris, 2019). Thus, a great number of individuals who could benefit from mindfulness practice either fail or drop out prematurely. Studies have attempted to address both issues by including virtual reality (VR) and biofeedback in mindfulness practice. Although VR has already been introduced in mindfulness exercises, there is a lack of studies focused on its effectiveness compared to traditional mindfulness techniques. Additionally, although the inclusion of biofeedback appears to facilitate mindfulness practice, in many cases biofeedback has been shown to have a detrimental effect (Morris, 2019; Tinga et al., 2019). As such, scholars recognized the need for future research exploring the effects of combining these technologies in mindfulness practice (Sliwnski et al., 2017).

Method: Participants were 72 individuals, aged between 18-57 years old, and most of them were women (n = 44, 60.3%). Participants were randomly allocated to one of the following groups: Condition A - Mindfulness, Biofeeback and Virtual Reality (audio instructions in a VR scenario and biofeedback); Condition B - Minsfulness and Virtual Reality (audio instructions in a VR scenario with biofeedback); Condition C - Traditional Mindfulness (audio instructions only). Pre and post assessment were conducted. Self-report questionnaires were used to measure anxiety symptoms, depression symptoms, stress, positive affect, negative affect, mindful attention awareness and mindfulness facets. A heart rate recording was also performed throughout the exercises for a comparison of any differences between the three conditions.

Results: All three conditions showed significant results in reducing stress, positive affect, anxiety, and heart rate from pre to post-test. In what concerns mindful attention awareness, a significant increase was reported in the Condition A (Mindfulness, Biofeeback and Virtual Reality) compared to the other conditions.

Conclusions: This study’s findings showed that mindfulness practice seems to be an effective strategy in promoting psychological adjustment (i.e., reducing distress) and reducing physiological activity, independently of the format of the exercise performed by the individuals (traditional vs. VR-based exercises). However, our results suggested that allying biofeedback with a VR-based mindfulness exercise may facilitate mindfulness practice, especially in what concerns to the promotion of receptive awareness and attention to the present moment. As such, the use of VR and biofeedback may be an effective way to overcome the main problems associated with mindfulness practice.

ABSTRACT. The aim of this communication is to present the state of the art of the research and development of a video game for the rehabilitation of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), whose prototype version dates to 2018. The current version, a project funded by the Brazilian government through the Centelha Programme (FINEP/FACEPE), is the result of two years of research and coding. We worked with neuropsychologists, in order to develop a graphic intention and a colour palette that are supported by current research on ADD and ADHD. The project consists of a breakout video game, hosted on an online platform that allows the professional to elaborate the remediation pathway of his patient according to his difficulties and results. During the first session, the patient must pass a test on an interface that evaluates his deficit and will have to do a retest at the end of the remediation process. The test that is applied is programmed specifically for the game, following the criteria of an Attention Network Test. The platform has a backend that not only records all the data from the game, but also calculates it, producing statistics and graphs. These results, and additional data got from an eye-tracking technology that identify patient movement eyes during the game, are interpreted by a scalable Machine Learning AI. Eye-tracking has emerged as a promising tool for identifying attentional difficulties, given its ability to measure visual attention in real-time. Therefore, eye-tracking technology will be incorporated into the process to screen for disorders, that can be used to support a diagnostic assessment. This will provide the AI with more accurate and reliable data on the patient's attentional difficulties or progress. The goal is that the AI guides the professional so that he can, by understanding the progress made, propose a remediation path adapted to the difficulties of each patient. To be successful, this project must be developed on several technical fronts: the design and programming of the game and the platform; the addition of the eye-tracking device to the operation of the platform; and Machine Learning coding that will process the generated data from the game interaction to tune the challenges, improving the user experience, as well as supporting the identification of early signals when analyzing the set of patterns already related to ADD and ADHD symptoms. It should be noted that the addition of the eye-tracking device requires first the creation of a prototype that can be produced at low cost and the programming of its software. From a scientific point of view, research must be carried out on two levels: 1. Updating literature reviews on the themes concerned: AAD, ADHD, and advances in its treatment/remediation; online cognitive remediation tools; research on eye-tracking and attention; ANTI-type tests. 2. A validation protocol applied on a large scale, for one year, with a check 6 months later to verify the stability and consistency of the transfer of learning. This protocol must include a quantitative aspect, which is essential for the credibility of its results, but also a qualitative aspect, with a smaller cohort, which will be decisive for verifying the real impact of the proposed remediation. We are currently at the halfway point of this project. Our paper will present the prototype, the current game, and its platform, show how the research to add eye-tracking to the patient's game pathway is being carried out - with the support of the SCALab (Université de Lille/CNRS) and the IrDIVE project of Lille -, report on our literature review on the topics mentioned and explain the next steps in the implementation of the project.

ABSTRACT. Introduction

Theory of Mind (ToM) refers to individual’s ability to attribute mental states to oneself and others (Kanske et al 2015) and understand that people can have different beliefs, intentions, or perspectives. According to Wellman (2018), ToM develops gradually. It is proven that children firstly understand that people can express different desires and beliefs about the same situation, before correctly judging false beliefs (Wellman and Liu, 2004). In the same way, first-order beliefs tasks are achieved by children earlier than second-order beliefs. As VR allows the creation of naturalistic environments, enhancing participant’s motivation (Priore Castelnuovo and Liccione, 2002) and commitment, we developed a ToM serious game (VR-ToM) to assess gradual ToM development in typically developing children, aged 5 to 10 years old. Additionally, the aim of this study is to compare VR-ToM with traditional ToM measures.

Method

77 children divided into three age groups (5-6 years, 7-8 years, and 9-10 years) were included in this study. Two social scenarios, in a form of a serious game, were created using Unity 3D software. Both scenarios represented real-life environments, familiar to participants (school yard and summer camp) and evaluated eight mental states (from diverse desires to emotional faux pas). The scenarios were presented to the participants on a Lenovo E580 laptop screen. The same virtual characters were used in both scenarios. Each child had its own avatar (main character’s -male or female- best friend) and could navigate to virtual environment by using the computer’s mouse. Participants received only one out of two social scenarios and two subtests of Nepsy-II (Affect Recognition and ToM).

Results and discussion

ANOVA analysis revealed an age effect for VR-ToM (F (2, 74) =15, 51; p =<.001), confirming that ToM develops with an increasing complexity. More precisely, post hoc analysis showed that both 7-8-year-old group and 9–10-year-old group, perform significantly better than the 5–6-year-old group (7-8 y-o (p =.001) and 9-10 y-o (p <.001). Youngest children (5–6-year-old) performed significantly lower on four mental states (explicit false belief, real apparent emotion, faux pas, and emotional faux pas). Concerning VR-ToM comparison with normative date, VR-ToM scores were positively correlated with Nepsy-II ToM scores (Total Score: r (75) = .61, p < .001; Verbal Score: r (75) = .62, p < .001) for all three groups. These findings highlight the potential of VR-ToM serious game for the assessment of social skills as well as the interest of its use to train ToM in pediatric populations.

ABSTRACT. The globalization and international mobility of the past 50 years has seen the number of expatriates increase worldwide. Expatriation is a form of migration and temporary exile, characterized by a voluntary departure abroad with frequent moves between the host country and the country of origin. As a consequence of this high-mobility and isolation, expatriates are increasingly seeking online mental-health professionals (Astruc & Chaudot, 2015; Drweski, 2022a). As more people collectively turn to new technologies to find answers to their mental health problems (Barak & Grohol, 2011; Bergström, 2013; Schneider & Haddouk, 2022; Tisseron, 2021) extensive research is being conducted to understand and enhance the expanding field of cyberpsychology and telepsychology. Our research and reflections take place in this context. Considering the huge growth of mental health professionals who propose "remote" follow-up using teleconsultation, it seems to us that this extension of the field of clinical practice has to be examined and synthesized to promote change processes (Greenberg, 1986) and avoid the pitfalls related to the context of expatriation. Through mobilization of clinical situations and contiguous research, we would like to present the characteristics of teleconsultation that seem to promote change processes, but also the pitfalls that professionals must be warned about in relation to an expatriation context. Firstly, we consider the factors of change for the expatriate population namely; continuity of treatment despite patient migration (Astruc, 2015; Drweski, 2022b); continued links with the culture of origin in a context of isolation (Drewski, 2022b); and quality of presence (Missonnier, Haddouk & Vlachopoulou, 2002). Moreover, with many expat patients expressing a feeling of safety while consulting from home, the safety that could support the emergence of the Self than can occur during expatriation is further examined (Eiguer, 2017; Fonagy et al, 2022; Foy-Sauvage, 2021; Winnicott, 1971). In counterpoint, we observe that the use of new technologies for psychotherapy in an expatriation context can lead to a certain "evaporation" of the psychotherapy frame, which in turn can lead to therapeutic impasses. The feeling of closeness achieved via teleconsultation should not make us forget the realities of the patient (their pathology, or suicidal risk leading the professional to set up a relay locally) and the realities of the context in which they live. Ultimately, from a Change Processes Research perspective (Greenberg, 1986) we propose to consider the intersubjective processes in the specific context of teleconsultation and expatriation, especially when professionals are also expatriates. Based on these observations and poignant field practice, we would like to underline the benefits and the limits of such approaches to promote a global reflection on the "good practices" of teleconsultation in the context of expatriation.

ABSTRACT. Introduction In recent years, digital tools for virtual content and experiences had a tremendous increase in number and spread among laypeople and in the research field. Virtual Reality (VR), in particular, has become increasingly utilized in mental health, psychology, and well-being. These interventions usually target processes of distraction, relaxation and/or emotional regulation, and psychoeducational improvements. Creativity received some attention among the possible psychological processes that might be targeted with VR. Creativity is one intellectual ability to use personal knowledge to produce new ideas or valuable problem-solving solutions. Engaging people in creative activities would allow for the promotion of new solutions in response to challenging life events. The present study aims at assessing the differences between VR for creativity and control group in the evaluation of decisions made during the recalled past unpleasant autobiographical episode and related emotions.

Material and Methods Healthy volunteers will be enrolled in the study. After enrollment, participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups: 1) a painting group using VR, 2) a passive control group. The first group used a VR program for the painting experience with an Oculus Quest 2 device, while the second group was involved in a passive/neutral condition . Both experiences lasted 15 minutes. Before the experiences, participants were invited to think about a past unpleasant autobiographical episode and rate the emotional experience related to it (on Visual Analog Scale from 1 to 10) and evaluate the decision made in this situation (e.g. “Would you choose to act the same way today?” on Visual Analog Scale from 1 to 10). After the interventions, participants were also be asked to rerate the same dimensions in order to assess any potential influences of the experimental conditions on the explored variables. Psychological variables such as personality, emotional intelligence, and Self-Curiosity were also be explored to evaluate any possible influences of these variables on respondents' outcomes.

Results Results showed that participants in the creativity condition rated themselves as significantly more curious and felt that their creativity was stimulated compared to the control group. Furthermore, participants in the creative VR changed the perception of the how much they used System 1 in their choices, when controlling for emotional intelligence. Lastly, the creative experience led participants to feel less satisfied with their previous decision, possibly because it induced creative reasoning on possible alternatives.

Conclusion Results highlighted that VR for creativity can enhance creative feelings and shape emotions and individual relationship with decision-making.

ABSTRACT. Background: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder is characterized by a group of symptoms that appear after the exposure to one or more life-threatening events. Although there are specialized evidence-based treatments, some limitations have been identified regarding the training of mental health professionals for therapeutic management and the lack of accessibility to specialized treatment programs (Adams et al., 2016; Bishop et al., 2017; Cook et al., 2019; McElroy et al., 2016). The group of the Virtual Teaching and Cyberpsychology Lab from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, based on previous studies regarding PTSD and Virtual Reality Therapy that they’ve conducted (Cárdenas & De la Rosa, 2012; Cárdenas, De la Rosa, Durán, & Durón, 2016), designed an online training program to evaluate and attend trauma patients through evidence-based treatments, such as Prolonged Exposure Therapy and novel interventions integrating VR. The program aimed to cover the training needs of professionals that work with trauma patients in healthcare institutions and improve the national services related to trauma attention. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact and effect of an online teaching program for the identification and treatment of PTSD and related disorders in healthcare personnel. Specifically, to identify the extent to which the online program was consistent with the projected outcomes in the acquisition of skills and competencies in trauma care, crisis intervention, and diagnosis and intervention for Acute Stress Disorder, PTSD and associated substance abuse. Methods: An assessment protocol was developed by a group of specialists in trauma, which was based on attitudes, values, the usefulness of knowledge and acquired skills. For this purpose, the protocol analyzed the effect of knowledge and skills acquired, in order to obtain relevant information regarding the application of these skills in the clinical-work context in terms of trauma assessment and management through an impact assessment questionnaire (Bernardino & Curado, 2020; Cook et al., 2019). The experience of 167 graduate participants was rated on their performance in assessing and attending patients exposed to trauma within six months after completed the training program. Results: The results in the six-month follow-up measure show a positive impact of the program. Participants report differences attributable to the use of the program in case detection. The participants also inform of positive differences after the program in the diagnosis and treatment plans implemented in their daily clinical activities. Conclusions: This study allowed us to support the idea that teaching and training programs mediated by new technologies are viable and can be effective in skills development within the healthcare professionals. In addition, considering the negative impact that traumatic events have on mental health, it is important to have trained healthcare professionals with specific skills to attend the victim’s needs. Using technology in education and training can improve the clinical practice regarding assessment and treatment in trauma. Finally, this study provides a novel online training program using evidence-based treatment programs for mental health professionals, integrating novel interventions such as VR exposure therapy.

ABSTRACT. Content of the workshop. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are online courses open to everyone, hosted on online learning platforms such as Coursera, and FUN-MOOC. MOOCs promote access to education by offering free courses designed by recognized universities. They are also interesting for the initial training of students and for the continuing education of professionals since learners can access the courses according to a flexible schedule, at the pace that suits them, and in a secure manner. For example, if a concept is not well understood, alternative solutions are proposed, feedback on certain materials is possible, etc. Then they promote the creation of communities of learning and practice. And finally, they make it possible to publicize research work and develop international collaborations. At the University of Liège, we have decided to link a MOOC to the health psychology course, entitled “Acting for your health”. The university context and the format, a cohort of more than 500 students, is not optimal for doing applied exercises. The large group must be split into subgroups, and significant human resources must be available. Therefore, the very format of the MOOC (individual, online, secure for the student) makes it possible to reach a more significant number of students. The MOOC makes access to exercises fair: the examples of clinical vignettes are numerous and diversified; the student can come back to the situation, without judgment from others. The MOOC includes five modules that revolve around the notions necessary to set up a healthy behavior, such as practicing physical activity. Among these five modules, one is devoted entirely to virtual reality and how this tool can be a trigger for the establishment of health behavior. Currently, nearly 40,000 people have registered for this MOOC. The three main reasons that encourage people to participate in a MOOC are personal interest (interest in the subject, curiosity), professional (acquiring new skills), and educational (obtaining a certificate). This workshop aims to illustrate how and why we have positioned virtual reality within this MOOC centered on health behavior change. It allows us to introduce virtual reality, to students

Targeted audience. The workshop is intended for health professionals, novices, or experts in clinical health psychology, but also for teachers. It was designed in collaboration with clinical psychologists, researchers, computer scientists, and technopedagogues.

Approach. With the various educational devices offered in the MOOC, our approach is to coach students in clinical rationale. Practical exercises relating to reflective clinical work are offered based on clinical vignettes showing health behaviors and interventions of health professionals. The work is approached both from the angle of supervision to become familiar with the application of the posture of the practitioner and of clinical reasoning. For the virtual reality module, we have gone from simple notions (definition of VR; necessary equipment) to more complex notions (development of virtual environments dedicated to specific research questions) with the help of educational videos, interviews with experts, and exchanges between clinicians.

Learning objectives (list at least 4). The learning outcomes during this workshop will be (1) to consolidate your knowledge of what a MOOC is;(2) train in clinical reasoning using clinical cases treated by virtual reality; (3) to equip you to create your virtual environments in line with the needs of your patients and (4) to identify your obstacles and incentives to using virtual reality as a therapeutic tool. Finally, we will illustrate throughout the workshop the importance of working in multidisciplinarity and of regularly continuing your training because the field of possibilities is vast with this tool.

ABSTRACT. The lecture will present the virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) techniques for anxiety disorders. Several therapeutic tools designed for the immersive HMD technology will be presented with an emphasis on the co-design of these methods centered on the needs of the target population. During the lecture we will present an overview of several studies performed in the National Institute of Mental Health in Czech Republic aimed at evaluating the acceptability, feasibility and/or validity of these VRET methods in the target population. During the presentation we will introduce several virtual applications and scenarios created for exposure therapy of phobic disorders (specific phobias, social phobias, and agoraphobia), general anxiety disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder. These scenarios include environments such as virtual city with various building interiors, family house and magnetic resonance imaging lab. These methods can be used in a targeted treatment procedure for cognitive-behavioral therapy sessions or as an enrichment or augmentation of standard pharmacological and psychotherapeutic treatment procedures. The presentation will focus mainly on the principles of design and development of the presented applications and design decisions that shaped the development of individual solutions. These decisions were based not only on clinical experience of the therapists but also on the feedback provided by clinical samples participating in the pilot and feasibility studies (sample sizes ranging from 10 to 50 patients) that led to the proposal of the necessary design adjustments of the environment and functionality corresponding to their specific needs. In addition, the presentation will introduce the subjective scales and objective evaluation methods (psychiatric scales, physiological response measures) applied in the presented clinical studies and main findings of selected studies. The presented methods were created with the financial support of TAČR projects ÉTA no. TL03000223, and TAČR GAMA project Braintech no. TP01010062, internal project no. 318A_2020 with the support of the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic – RVO (Identity number: 00023752).

ABSTRACT. The study of communicative strategies and communicative tactics are in central attention in social and cyberpsycholoy. Writing in online platforms does not have the animate qualities of face-to-face interactions. In a real context, people use body language, gestures, and facial expressions. These show different thoughts and emotions of the comunicators. In the digital medium, lack of the above-mentioned qualities has resulted in creating an anonymous, vague and misunderstanding of the exchanged messages.Therefore, the tendency to include emojis to enhance the meaning of the textual messages is favourable among the online users. The current research targeted Saudi male and female university students (N=300). It aims to: • Identify the relationship between the use of emojis (negative-positive) and feelings (negative-positive) in social media. • Identify the effect of using emojis on persuasive messages. • Identifying the correlation between the use of emojis (negative-positive) and motivations for using social media6. • Identifying the correlation between the use of emoji (negative-positive) and self-presentation strategies in social media. The researchers use Content Analysis and Qualitative approach to investigate the research questions. The primary findings is that students who use emoji to support the written messages are more persuasive than the written messages without including either negative or positive emoji what we called (E-Emotions). The cultural influence on online interaction styles will be discussed. The application of this study will benefit human interactions in social and marketing contexts.

ABSTRACT. The process of integrating technology into mental health pathways represents a social transformation that we are gradually getting used to. But does it represent a valid alternative to face-to-face care processes? In this paper we will consider telesychology as a tool for treating anxiety and depression and its validity. Anxiety and depression are harmful to individuals, suffering from these disorders, their caregivers, and the economy. Remote delivery of psychotherapy has been established as a viable alternative to traditional in-person psychotherapy for treating anxiety and depression. However, literature comparing and evaluating the variety of remote delivery modalities of psychotherapy has not yet been integrated. This review examines the efficiency – to - practice and the limits of e-therapy and its mediums: telephone, video, and online-administered psychotherapy, for treatment of anxiety and depression.

ABSTRACT. Introduction The use of social networks (SN) has increased dramatically over the last few years. Many scholars argue that SN use may be addictive because some individuals experience symptoms like those experienced by people who suffer from other forms of addiction (e.g., mood modification, salience, and withdrawal). Cognitive models of addictive behaviors have highlighted the central role of Desire Thinking (DT) a conscious and voluntary cognitive process orienting to prefigure images and information about a positive target-related experience in increasing craving and in maintaining addictive behaviors. The role of DT in eliciting craving has been studied for substance-related addictive behaviors, and, more recently, for behavioral addictions such as gambling, and problematic social media use. The metacognitive model of DT (Caselli & Spada, 2015) posits that metacognition plays a central role in understanding dysregulation in DT. Metacognitions about DT refer to the information individuals hold about their own DT and desire-related thoughts. Positive metacognitions regard the usefulness of DT in distracting from negative thoughts and emotions and are involved in the initiation of DT when a target-related thought intrudes into awareness. Negative metacognitions regard the uncontrollability of target-related thoughts and play a role in the propagating of low control once a DT episode has started leading to an escalation of DT and craving. The metacognitive model of DT has been validated in clinical (e.g., alcohol use disorder, gambling disorder) and in community samples. However, no previous study has empirically tested this model in Problematic Social Networking Sites Use (PSNSU). The aim of the current study is to test the role of metacognitions about DT, DT, and craving in the relationship between some well-established predisposing psychological factors (i.e., Fear of Missing OutFoMo, boredom proneness, and negative emotional reactivity) and PSNSU. Method. A sample of 529 participants (mean age= 32.45 ± 13.33; Females = 62.9%) was recruited using a convenience sampling approach. The following instruments were administered online: The Boredom Proneness Scale-Short Form, the Fear of Missing Out Scale, the Negative Reactivity scale of the Perth Emotional Reactivity Scale – Short Form, the Metacognitions About Desire Thinking Questionnaire, the Desire Thinking Questionnaire, the Penn Alcohol Craving Scale modified for SNSs, and the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale. The proposed model (where FoMO, boredom proneness, and negative emotional reactivity were considered as predictive variables, metacognition about DT, DT, and craving as mediating variables, and PSNSU as the outcome variable) was tested through path analysis. Results. The path analysis showed that the hypothesized model produced a good fit to the data [χ2 = 20.27, df = 16, p =.20; RMSEA [90%CI]=.02[.000-.05]; CFI= .99; SRMR=.02] and accounted for 63% of PSNSU variance. FoMO predicted positive metacognitions about DT, which in turn predicted DT that, in association with craving, predicted PSNSU. Boredom proneness positively predicted PSNSU both directly and indirectly through the serial mediation of positive metacognitions about DT, DT, and craving. Additionally, a direct path between negative emotional reactivity and PSNSU was found. Discussion The current findings provide preliminary evidence for the application of the metacognitive model of DT and craving in PSNSU. A relevant role for positive metacognitions about DT emerged. These beliefs may be involved in the initiation of DT when SNSs use-related thought intrudes into awareness. Positive metacognitions about DT and DT may be central cognitive processes in craving and PSNSU for individuals who experience boredom proneness and FoMo. Several implications for the assessment and treatment of PSNSU can be drawn. For example, applying Metacognitive Therapy techniques, like attention training and detached mindfulness, aimed at the modification of dysfunctional metacognitions that increase the intensity of DT in the context of PSNSU.

ABSTRACT. Problematic. Women who have experienced sexual assault are at risk of developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and negative posttraumatic cognitions such as self-blame. Cognitive behavioral therapies (CBT) for PTSD are effective treatments for these symptoms, but this population’s access to face-to-face therapies is limited. Online self-treatment, with or without professional support, is an accessible and effective treatment modality. However, low engagement has been observed in several studies on self-treatments, which may indicate a lack of acceptability of the assessed interventions. Personalizing an e-health intervention to the characteristics and needs of a target population is associated with better adherence, but few studies have isolated the effect of this strategy on acceptability and effectiveness. Gamification is a design strategy that involves incorporating game elements into a system to enhance user experience. This strategy is associated with improved engagement and e-health intervention effectiveness, but data on gamification in e-mental health are limited. Objectives. The objective of this pilot study is to test the impact of an online intervention personalized to women who have experienced sexual assault and adapted using gamification principles on PTSD, anxiety and depression symptom severity, posttraumatic cognitions, acceptability and user experience. Method. Twelve participants were recruited through emails sent to the Laval University community and announcements on the Facebook social network. Inclusion criteria were to (a) identify as female; (b) be at least 18 years old; (c) report having experienced at least one sexual assault since the age of 12 years; d) have a score of at least 10 on the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5); and e) have a score of at least 3 on the Posttraumatic Maladaptive Beliefs Scale (PMBS). Participants completed the gamified and personalized version of an online cognitive restructuring intervention over a period of five weeks. Self-report questionnaires to measure PTSD symptoms (PCL-5), posttraumatic cognitions (PMBS), self-blame (Rape Attribution Questionnaire [RAQ]), anxiety (General Anxiety Disorder-7 [GAD-7]), and depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 [PHQ-9]) were completed before, during (after the 3rd session) and after the intervention. Questionnaires assessing acceptability (Acceptability E-Scale) and user experience (Attrakdiff2) were completed after the intervention. Intervention. The intervention was developed using the cognitive restructuring component of the original online self-treatment RESILIENT (www.resilient.ulaval.ca). The personalized and gamified intervention includes psychoeducation on PTSD, a description of posttraumatic cognitions and cognitive distortions, as well as several exercises to apply cognitive restructuring. The content and examples have been adapted for women who have experienced sexual assault, and gamification principles were incorporated (for example, interactive feedback and a progress bar). Results. Experimentation being underway, preliminary analyses were conducted with 7 of the 12 participants (results for all participants will be presented at the conference). Mixed-models repeated-measure analyses of variance showed significant decreases on the PCL-5 and GAD-7 total scores. Significant decreases were also observed on the PMBS total score and the RAQ self-blame subscale. No significant effects were observed on the PHQ-9 total score (p > .05). A high level of acceptability was observed for the Satisfaction and Usability dimensions of the Acceptability E-Scale, as well as a good user experience for the Identification and Pragmatic dimensions of the Attrakdiff2. Discussion. These preliminary results suggested that the personalized and gamified online intervention decreases PTSD and anxiety symptom severity, posttraumatic cognitions, and self-blame. The results also suggested that the intervention is acceptable and associated with a good user experience. These pilot data will lead to the development of a randomized controlled trial to compare the effectiveness, acceptability and user experience of RESILIENT personalized and gamified version compared to its original version.

ABSTRACT. Given the recent development in digital and robotic technologies to assist workers, organizations are increasingly integrating smart solutions in multiple contexts, such as manufacturing, logistics and transport. Those technologies are deployed to interact with workers as human partners, augmenting their capabilities. Such solutions include collaborative industrial robotics systems, AI-powered agents, Augmented Reality systems, or automated machines. Increased human-robot collaboration (HRC) has brought substantial benefits for enterprises and industries, such as increased productivity and efficiency, greater flexibility, and the potential for organizations to scale their operations more efficiently. At the same time, however, collaborative industrial robotics systems bring a change in work characteristics, such as job content or work environment. Current research on HRC focuses primarily on technical aspects and often overlooks the importance of cognitive ergonomics and human factors in improving worker well-being and production performance. However, as human workers and collaborative robots have become closer partners, new risk factors and ergonomic-related challenges have become apparent, such as safety, stress and burnout, frustration, information overload and increasing cognitive load. It has been demonstrated that high levels of cognitive workload and cognitively straining conditions may pose risks to workers’ health, well-being, and safety, negatively affecting overall productivity and work-related performance. Such risks associated with task design, as well as the design of work environments and technologies, may negatively affect employees’ mental and physical health. Consequently, designers must consider cognitive ergonomics and human factors to develop human-centred collaborative work systems. The present contribution stems from previous works of the authors, in which guidelines for the design of Collaborative Assembly Systems based on scientific literature have been developed. The guidelines have been evaluated through several experiments, demonstrating that the system features and interaction patterns could improve assembly performance and the operator’s cognitive response to HRC. As the research field of HRC is rapidly evolving, the purpose of the present work is to enhance and extend the existing set of guidelines to support non-experts in the field of human factors during the initial design stages of human-centred and collaborative work systems. To improve the guidelines in terms of relevance and clarity, a literature search was carried out including papers published between 2020 and 2022. The search was performed with Scopus as the electronic database in January 2022 following PRISMA guidelines. The keywords used in the literature search were chosen based on relevant articles and classified into two groups: (1) keywords related to cognitive responses and human factors, such as "human factors" and "cognitive", and (2) keywords related the field of HRI, such as “collaborative robotics” and “Human-Robot”. The literature search resulted in a total of 825 papers. After 215 duplicates have been removed, 610 papers remained for screening titles and abstracts of articles concerning established inclusion and exclusion criteria. A total of 93 papers remained for full-text review. Finally, based on the 64 identified articles identified through the systematic literature search, new design guidelines were developed and existing guidelines from the previous research work were updated, resulting in a total set of 53 design guidelines. The design guidelines were classified into five categories according to similar contents, being “Workstation and Robot System Features”, “Robot System Performance and Interaction Patterns”, “Human-Robot Communication and Interfaces”, “Control measures”, and “Organizational Measures and Training”. Finally, an online questionnaire was conducted with experts in the field, asking them to give their professional feedback on the guidelines, specifically in terms of clarity and relevance, to propose practical solutions for the guidelines’ implementation, as well as metrics used to evaluate their effectiveness.

ABSTRACT. Background: PTSD may become a chronic illness, negatively affecting all facets of life. Thus, PTSD treatment is a crucial public health issue. Although effective interventions exist, many patients never receive them, and even these are not helpful for a significant proportion of patients. Objectives: this non-inferiority RCT aimed to compare a novel, internet-based modular CBT treatment that uses Virtual Reality (PIT) with Prolonged Exposure (PE), a gold standard intervention. Methodology: Clinical assessments included the DIAMOND and CAPS and self-report measures (BDI and PCL5) before and after treatment. Patients were randomized to PIT or PE and received 10 sessions. The PIT treatment contains five flexible modules (psychoeducation, in vivo exposure, imaginal exposure with VR, cognitive restructuring and response prevention). PIT takes place on a secure interactional online space. Patients received VR headsets, and VR is delivered by the therapist using an online platform. This platform was developed for the purpose of the study, and allows the therapist to have remote control over VR scenarios. Scenarios consisted of hospital and accident scenes, and where possible individualized scenarios were also constructed for the participant. Results: 20 patients were assessed, 5 were not suitable for the RCT. Six patients dropped out during the therapy. Ten patients finished all sessions. Results show significant decreases in PTSD and depression symptoms from before to after therapy, in both completers and dropouts (PTSD: F(1,4)=8.3, p<0.05; depression: F(1,4)=10.3,p<0.05). There were no significant group by time interactions (PTSD: F(1,4)=0.7, ns; depression F(1,4)=0.4, ns). Conclusions: Results indicate that PIT and PE are equally effective in treating chronic PTSD. The PIT protocol allows flexibility in the choice of treatment components. Moreover, internet based individualized VR is a novel treatment that should be further explored. Limitations include a small N, and a study carried out during COVID-19.

ABSTRACT. Background: The sense that a virtual reality (VR) scenario is real, and the user feels as if they are physically within the scenario contributes to the quality of experience (Witmer & Singer, 1998). This sense of presence is related to both external characteristics of the technology as well as internal factors. Measuring presence in VR represents a complex challenge, since it is hard to capture presence using subjective self-report questionnaires filled out after existing VR (e.g., Slater, 2004), while objective measures, such as heart rate, eye movement, skin conductance, ECG, fMRI, and EEG require a level of arousal to be utilized. Furthermore, these are more challenging to use and integrate with existing VR systems. This dilemma is even more acute when considering full body illusions in VR: Virtual Embodiment (VE). Questionnaires regarding VE are particularly challenging, and preliminary data from our team suggests these are especially confusing in psychiatric populations. When using objective presence measures, it can be hard to distinguish between levels of presence with interoceptive information that change this level. This study describes a pilot study examining a behavioral response task that represents as a simple way to measure objective presence in VE. The study hypothesized that attention to the insertion of an unexpected element into the VE environment indicates an objective measure of presence and would be positively correlated with subjective measures. Procedure and sample The study was approved by the Ethics Committee. The sample included 20 healthy adult subjects. Recruitment took place in a public area of the University, where staff and students pass by. Inclusion criteria were ability to provide informed consent, over the age of 18, and fluency in Hebrew or English. Exclusion criteria included a history of epilepsy, or any adverse reactions in the past to bright or flashing lights. Procedure Participants signed informed consent and then entered the VE environment. They were instructed to look at themselves in the mirror, orient themselves to the figure in the mirror, and move their arms and head. After one minute, a figure in red entered the VE environment and walked behind them. The researcher noted what, if any, reaction occurred. The participant then exited the VE, and answered self-report measures: Body Representation Questionnaire (Banakou et al, 2013, 2018) and Presence questionnaire (SUS, Salter et al, 2000). Virtual Reality and Virtual Embodiment Equipment: The VE was hosted on a DELL G5 5587 laptop with Oculus Rift and touch controllers, the software was written by Sonarion LTD using Unity. Results The average age of the sample was 34.44 (SD=12.39), the average number of years of education was 15.27 (SD = 2.21) and 35% (7/20) were men. 90% of the participants showed an objective reaction to the figure that entered; these reactions included verbal responses (what is he doing there?), freezing, looking round at the figure, trying to hit the figure. Responses to the questionnaires were not significantly correlated with the objective reactions, nor did the two groups (reacted vs non reacted) differ significantly on the questionnaire results. Discussion The results found in this study suggest an extremely high percentage of participants showing a positive behavioral response to the figure. This indicates high levels of feeling that they were physically in the virtual space, and the specific reactions indicated feelings of agency (e.g., trying to stop the figure) and ownership (e.g., freezing). The extremely small number of participants not displaying a reaction (N=2) probably explains the lack of statistical significant between the two groups. Further studies might incorporate the figure as a means of testing its utility as a measure of presence in virtual embodiment.

ABSTRACT. This symposium presents Augmented Introspection, a new approach in cyberpsychology aimed at enhancing/empowering human introspection – i.e., the ability to reflect on and explore one's own inner experiences and subjective states of mind - by combining it with artificial intelligence, advanced simulation technologies such as virtual and augmented reality, and psychophysiological techniques such as biofeedback and neurofeedback.

The goal of Augmented Introspection is to design technologies and interactive digital experiences that improve people's ability to access, represent, and potentially alter their own internal psychological processes, judgments, perceptions, and states through self-reflection and insight. This approach aims to enhance self-awareness, self-transcendence, and decision-making, with potential applications in the fields of mental health, education and training, and everyday life.

The symposium is expected to provide an overview of the current state of the art in Augmented Introspection, as well as to identify challenges and opportunities for the future development of this new area.

Oral presentations

1. Using Augmented Introspection for supporting emotion regulation with teenagers Alexandra Kitson School of Interactive Arts & Technology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada

2. Interoceptive Technology Daniele di Lernia and Giuseppe Riva HTLab, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy

3.Promoting Global, Perceptual and Self-Consciousness: The Contribution of Information Technologies Oscar F. Goncalves Proaction Lab - CINEICC, University of Coimbra, Portugal

4.Exploring the Effects of Virtual Reality Induced Alterations in State of Consciousness on cognitive flexibility, creativity and perceptual experiences Nicola de Pisapia Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Trento, Italy

5.'Numadelic' VR experiences which produce ego attenuation and connectedness comparable to psychedelics David Glowacki – Intangible Reality Lab, Spain

ABSTRACT. In this contribution, I will introduce Augmented Introspection, a new approach in cyberpsychology that aims to enhance human introspection by using artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, and psychophysiological techniques. The goal is to create technologies and digital experiences that improve people's ability to access, understand, and potentially change their own internal psychological processes, judgments, perceptions, and memories through self-reflection and insight. This strategy aims to enhance self-awareness, self-transcendence, and decision-making with potential applications in mental health, education, and everyday life.

In my talk, I will first attempt a definition of Augmented Introspection, as a technology-enhanced process that allows for real-time monitoring and analysis of mental states and processes. I will explain how Augmented Introspection can be particularly useful for individuals struggling with mental health issues, as it allows for more targeted and effective treatment. For example, by detecting patterns of negative thoughts or emotions using experience-sampling methods, therapists may intervene to help individuals develop more positive coping mechanisms. In addition to its potential applications in mental health, Augmented Introspection could also be used to improve decision-making and communication.

In the main part of my presentation, I will review examples of interactive tools designed to promote self-reflection experiences, drawing on recent research from our own group and relevant literature. From this review, I will then explore the opportunities and challenges of this Augmented Introspection. Despite its potential, there are several ethical considerations that must be considered. For example, there are concerns about privacy and the potential for misuse of this technology. Additionally, there is a risk that Augmented Introspection may perpetuate existing biases or harmful stereotypes.

In the final part of my talk, I will propose a potential research agenda for Augmented Introspection and explore ways to establish an interdisciplinary network of interested scholars.

ABSTRACT. ‘Can the digital future be our home?’. Starting from this question recently formulated by Zuboff (2019), a question that opens up new possible forms of coexistence between physical, digital and human, the presentation aims to explore the issues related to the spread of phygital environments (i.e., an environment characterized by context awareness⎯capturing human beings while they populate the space⎯, embeddedness⎯automating processes and reducing human beings’ mediation⎯, and natural interaction⎯transforming human−machine interaction in a natural and multimodal process⎯; Gaggioli, 2017; Leoni et al., 2021) in work contexts, with particular reference to the organization of hybrid meetings. As is well known, the diffusion of phygital environments has increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic to the point of being a real silent revolution in times of ‘new/post/next normality’. This ‘revolution’ has generated new forms of both communication and relationship between people and the organization of work processes. The presentation will open with a description of the main consequences of hybridization of the physical and digital dimensions of workspaces and environments. Taking on the viewpoints of planning and design, organizational consulting, executive action, positive psychology and social psychology of digital spaces, it will show how the concept of the phygital spaces contains within itself the distinguishing elements of this situation. The contribution will then proceed to analyze the phenomenon of hybrid meetings as a paradigmatic example of the critical issues organizations face in integrating this into their culture and operating processes. To this end, what is meant by ‘hybrid meetings’ will be clarified, differentiating them from what could be called ‘spurious meetings’ (such as ‘in-person meetings + someone at a distance’ or ‘online meetings + the boss in the office’). Hybrid meetings are characterized not so much by being meetings in which some participants are physically present in the same room, while others join remotely via video conferencing technology, but because those who must be present are present and those who must be remote are remote, meetings therefore at the basis of which there is a sound organizational design. Some additional reasons that constitute the specificity of hybrid meetings are the ones that point out that these meetings are based, above all, on:

(a) reasons why they are planned and convened (b) ways in which they are organized (c) organization of the setting that hosts the individuals present within the office (proxemics⎯meaning attributed to the distance that human beings take up to one another and artefacts in the environment⎯[Norris, 2019], sound quality, air quality etc.) (d) degree of social presence experienced by participants (e) presence and use of collaborative digital tools (e) training of participants in the use of technology and collaborative digital tools (f) training in social and conversational etiquette (g) integration of meeting outcomes into teamwork processes.

The presentation will address each of the above points to highlight how hybrid meetings can: 1) represent a moment of integration between technologies, psychological processes and social-work processes in light of the principles of positive psychology applied to the world of work 2) provide useful insights into structuring hybrid work contexts to facilitate participation and productivity 3) to be a training opportunity to sensitize hybrid work groups to the major relational dynamics that characterize their collaboration in phygital environments.

To substantiate the above program, reference will be made to a case study related to the organizational consulting intervention ‘Supporting Technologies and new Skills for Managing Digitally Augmented Contexts’ currently underway at MM SpA (Milan, Italy).

ABSTRACT. Literature on the phenomena of radicalization shows that communicative interaction plays a fundamental role in all radicalization processes connected with identity-shaping processes: recruitment, dissemination of ideology, conversion to the cause, organization, and planning of an attack. Therefore, we could say that all the communicative interactions convey a part of the subject’s identity. This part results from a strategic process that the individuals consciously or unconsciously produce in encountering the environment, the artefacts, and their interlocutors. Subjectivity is the noun of the identity part strategically produced by the subject during communicative interaction. Therefore, radicalized subjectivity is the definition of a subjectivity that shows characteristics proper of a radicalized and ideological culture. In other words, subjectivity is the phenomenology of identity in action. And this is true both in natural and digitally mediated ecosystems. It is the authors’ thoughts – partially matured by the studies developed in the Horizon Project CounteR https://counter-project.eu/ – that some different typologies of radicalized subjectivity can be differentiated as affected by three levels of culture respectively generated by and related to subject (micro dimension), subject’s social networks (meso dimension), society, extended networks, and institutions to which the subject pertains to (macro dimension). The subjects' agency in creating subjectivities decreases from the micro dimension to the macro. Therefore, the study of subjectivity can lead to relevant reflections on the ecosystem influences on the subjects' identity heritage, and actions. When critical, these elements provide 'fuel' for constructing problematic, radicalized, or pathological subjectivities. For instance, being excluded by the school or work social contexts means introjecting into identity the fact of being a 'lone actor', not inserted in society. The oral presentation will discuss the necessity to simultaneously study the processes of construction of radicalized subjectivity activities in the so-called virtual networks and real networks. Based on the above arguments, the authors intend to focus on how experiences related to these factors - made by subjects offline and online - lead to the construction through their interweaving of a complex matrix of 'Onlife Experiences', to borrow the term used by Floridi (2015). What we are interested in, in fact, is how through such experiences subjects use the identity repertoires that characterize their identity to complete the processes of constructing their subjectivity. From 'Onlife Experiences' then to the construction of 'Onlife subjectivities' in the processes of radicalization. The presentation of this pathway has a twofold purpose: 1) To show the appropriateness of an approach to the exploration of constructing Onlife Subjectivity that respects its complexity, using tools taken from social psychology, sociology, and communication sciences. 2) To present some of the consequences on the theoretical, methodological, and investigative techniques levels that the development of the concept of Onlife subjectivity may have on the definition of intelligence strategies. The relevance and the usefulness of a Digital Humint model allowing tracking of the traces left by subjects into the various environments – physical and digitally mediated – in which their Onlife Subjectivity takes place through experience taking place on the road to radicalization will be discussed. As this is a contribution resulting from different studies conducted in the context of the Horizon CounteR project, this abstract does not contain any information on the methodological aspects of data production and analysis (for which please refer to https://counter-project.eu/) that will be accounted during the oral presentation.

ABSTRACT. Technology has permeated all areas of society today, offering a broad range of opportunities for the therapist, for example to facilitate access to a therapist in situations of restricted mobility, as in the recent Covid-19 worldwide sanitary crisis. Although more and more clinicians use teleconsultation nowadays as a complement, very few of them have been trained with the specific features of these new forms of clinical practice. This raises numerous questions for research and practice in clinical care. Very few programs currently exist to train professionals in healthcare and in the related fields that enable these new practices, e.g. engineering, applied mathematics, computer science, etc. In the specific area of mental health, professionals must be prepared to face in clinical practice the digital dimension of the experience, as well as achieve the necessary knowledge about all that equipment, devices, apps, that facilitate and improve the quality of mental health intervention. This is not detrimental to the therapist's basic skills, but, quite the opposite, leads her/him to adapt them to the new supports. The Erasmus Mundus CYBER Master’s degree started in 2022. This research Master aims to provide mental healthcare professionals with the IT related concepts and tools of intervention in the areas associated with human behaviour and mental health. The Master is focused on two main areas of knowledge, on the one hand the importance of an accurate management of the data processing derived from the quantification of human behaviour. And on the other, the use of IT applications in the comprehension, research, assessment and intervention in human behaviour and mental health. This Master is coordinated by Universidade Lusófona of Portugal in Lisbon, the consortium is composed of the University of Barcelona and Université Paris Cité. CYBER Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree (EMJMD) has a length of 2 academic years, structured in four semesters. Each semester is conducted in one of the universities of the consortium and the last semester is dedicated to field internships. This new international academic training aims to train new professionals and researchers in the field of mental health. This will strengthen the presence of cyberpsychology in European universities.

ABSTRACT. Introduction. In recent years, scholar research has increasingly focused on social media (mis)use and adolescents’ experiences in online environments, providing evidence concerning the increasing centrality of appearance-related activities (i.e., selfie-sharing, viewing, commenting, and “liking”) on social media. The increasing attention toward body appearance and online photographic self-presentation allows adolescents to satisfy their need for self-presentation and belonging but, simultaneously, it promotes body image-related concerns and potentially problematic monitoring of their own appearance in photos, allowing adolescents to strategically manage their self-presentation, increasingly through visual content. Furthermore, greater engagement in body image control might trigger greater problematic social media use, especially among adolescents, confirming a possible bidirectional nature of (problematic) social media use-body image issues relation. Similarly, social media have been considered and investigated as a pivotal predictor of self-objectification experiences, however, considering a possible bidirectional nature of social networking-self-objectification relation, individuals who already self-objectify their bodies to present, manage, and enhance their online appearance, supporting self-objectification processes, might be potentially engaged in problematic social media use. Therefore, in light of the popularity of online body image-related issues and the potentially problematic use of social media in adolescence, the present contribution comprises three related studies. Methods. Study 1. Using the revised and validated Photo Manipulation scale, this study was conducted to explore the understudied possible predictive factors in adolescents’ control over body image in pictures and photo manipulation. The study aimed at evaluating the direct and indirect effect of teens’ selfie-expectancies on photo manipulation, via body image control in photos, and evaluating the moderating role of gender on this mediation model. A total of 453 adolescents (47% males; mean age=16.1 years, SD=1.46), participated in the online survey. Study 2. This study evaluated the predictive role of body shame on problematic social media use, testing the mediating effect of body image control in photos on social media. A total of 693 Italian adolescents (45% male; mean age=16; SD=1.58) participated in the study. Study 3. This study evaluated the predictive role of appearance control beliefs on problematic social media use, testing the mediating effect of body image control in photos. 383 female adolescents (mean age=16 years; SD=1.58) participated in the online survey. Results. Study 1. The tested mediation model demonstrated that selfie-expectancies were both directly and indirectly positively associated with photo manipulation via body image control in photos. Being male had a significant and positive direct effect on selfie-expectancies and photo manipulation pathway while being female did not influence the association between them. Study 2. The results suggested that body shame was both directly and indirectly positively associated with adolescents’ problematic social media use through the mediating effect of body image control in photos. Study 3. Among girls, believing in control over their own appearance directly and indirectly (via body image control in photos) negatively predicted problematic social media use, likely assuming a protective function. Discussion. The growth of social media platforms and the sharing of personal visual content make teenagers’ body image an extremely contemporary issue. Likely, social media and online environments are more easily accessible places where adolescents' bodies could be experienced. In this regard, the present research confirmed the crucial role of (online and offline) body image in teenagers’ experiences, determining their potentially problematic behaviors related to social media use. These three studies, on the one hand, seem to confirm the more complex females’ relationship with their own bodies. On the other hand, males seem to be increasingly concerned and involved in body-related activities, especially on social media.

ABSTRACT. With a growing body of research highlighting the therapeutic potential of experiential phenomenology which diminishes egoic identity and increases one’s sense of connectedness, there is significant interest in how to elicit such ‘self-transcendent experiences’ (STEs) in laboratory contexts. Psychedelic drugs (YDs) have proven particularly effective in this respect, producing subjective phenomenology which reliably elicits intense STEs. With virtual reality (VR) emerging as a powerful tool for constructing new perceptual environments, Glowacki et al have begun to explore a so-called 'numadelic' (spirit-manifesting) design paradigm. (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-12637-z) Specifically, we recently developed a VR framework called ‘Isness-distributed’ (Isness-D) which harnesses the unique affordances of cloud computing combined with distributed multi-person VR to blur conventional self-other boundaries. Within Isness-D, groups of participants co-habit a shared virtual space, collectively experiencing their bodies as luminous energetic essences with diffuse spatial boundaries. It enables moments of ‘energetic coalescence’, a new class of embodied intersubjective experience where bodies can fluidly merge, enabling participants to include multiple others within their self-representation. To evaluate Isness-D, we adopted a citizen science approach, coordinating an international network of Isness-D 'nodes'. We analyzed the results (N = 58) using 4 different self-report scales previously applied to analyze subjective YD phenomenology (the inclusion of community in self scale, ego-dissolution inventory, communitas scale, and the MEQ30 mystical experience questionnaire). Despite the complexities associated with a distributed experiment like this, the Isness-D scores on all 4 scales were statistically indistinguishable from recently published YD studies, demonstrating that distributed VR can be used to design intersubjective STEs where people dissolve their sense of self in the connection to others.

ABSTRACT. During the last two decades a comprehensive interdisciplinary research program has been successful in the identification of the neural correlates of consciousness. A brain system capable of processing and integrate information seems to be a necessary condition for “global consciousness” (i.e., being conscious at all). However, global consciousness is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for “perceptual consciousness”. Being conscious of “something” requires processing of specific perceptual signals in re-entrant and feedback circuits within and among modular and multi-modular brain regions, that render the information available to the whole organism. Finally, “self-consciousness” requires that the brain is capable of locate information inside the body and within the mind. Information integration, information availability and information location are three important prerequisites for any system to conscious at all, being conscious of something, and being conscious of itself. In this presentation we will discuss how information technologies may contribute to promote global, perceptual and self-consciousness. More specifically we will exemplify how neuromodulation, virtual/augmented reality, and brain-machine interaction systems may increase global, perceptual and self-consciousness by promoting information integration, availability and location.

ABSTRACT. Introduction: Personality disorders (PD) have a serious impact on the lives of individuals who suffer from them and those around them. It is common for family members to experience high levels of burden, anxiety, and depression, and deterioration in their quality of life. It is curious that few interventions have been developed for family members of people with PD. However, Family Connections (FC) (Hoffman and Fruzzetti, 2005) is the most empirically supported intervention for family members of people with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Aim: The aim of this study is to explore the effectiveness of online vs face-to-face FC. Given the current social constraints resulting from SARS-CoV-2, interventions have been delivered online and modified. Method: This was a non-randomized pilot study with a pre-post evaluation and two conditions: The sample consisted of 45 family members distributed in two conditions: FC face-to-face (20) performed by groups before the pandemic, and FC online (25), performed by groups during the pandemic. For participants in the online condition were asked to have an internet connection, to find a place where they could have privacy to participate in the group and to try to attend all sessions. All participants completed the evaluation protocol before and after the intervention. Results: There is a statistically significant improvement in levels of burden (η 2 = 0.471), depression, anxiety, and stress (η 2 = 0.279), family empowerment (η 2 = 0.243), family functioning (η 2 = 0.345), and quality of life (μ2 η 2 = 0.237). There were no differences based on the application format burden (η 2 = 0.134); depression, anxiety, and stress (η 2 = 0.087); family empowerment (η 2 = 0,27), family functioning (η 2 = 0.219); and quality of life (η 2 = 0.006), respectively). Conclusions: This study provides relevant data about the possibility of implementing an intervention in a sample of family members of people with PD in an online format without losing its effectiveness. During the pandemic, and despite the initial reluctance of family members and the therapists to carry out the interventions online, this work shows the effectiveness of the results and the satisfaction of the family members. Offering online interventions represents a qualitative leap in terms of the possibility of reaching remote places, putting people with the same problem in contact in different parts of the world, and creating support networks to face the problem and share common solutions and tools. It is not really a major change from traditional therapy. They just needed to have an internet connection and to find a place where they could get some privacy. All of this represents a great step forward in terms of providing psychological treatment.

ABSTRACT. Telepresence in psychology is defined as an experience of being somewhere other than one’s physical location, but this phenomenon also refers to the impression of being in the presence of another person, with whom one is in a "natural" relationship, as if they were physically present. This kind of presence is typically induced with the help of technology and more particularly the means of telecommunication (written, verbal or videoconference). Considering these different arguments, we can therefore think that telepresence can be a powerful tool in psychological research and in psychotherapy, allowing participants and researchers to interact in real time in a variety of different settings and situations. Telepresence in telepsychology can provide an alternative to in-person therapy and allow for greater flexibility in modalities (such as scheduling) and convenience. For some people, the ability to access mental health services remotely can eliminate the stigma that is often associated with seeking professional help. Despite these benefits, there are still concerns about the effectiveness of remote therapy compared to traditional in-person treatment. However, results from the scientific literature have shown that there are no major differences between the two modalities in terms of therapeutic effectiveness. This suggests that telepresence in telepsychology may be a viable option for those seeking to access mental health services at a distance. However, the causes and mechanisms of telepresence are still not well known, and it is therefore difficult to evaluate or even predict. In this symposium, some precursory results will be presented concerning the observation of the telepresence phenomenon in telepsychotherapy and its fluctuations during the follow-up. Furthermore, a better knowledge of the mechanisms related to telepresence would benefit mental health professionals and could contribute to their training. Hence, the use of videoconferencing, telehealth and other technologies to conduct therapy sessions in a remote setting have grown increasingly popular as more people are looking for new ways to access mental health services and since the COVID-19 pandemics. At the same time, professionals in Europe are not well trained in these new practices and their motivations for adopting telepsychology methods are still not well known. Initiatives have been taken by European federations of psychologists to propose reflections on the new frameworks and issues related to these new professional practices. Ethical aspects are at the heart of this reflection and will also be presented in the draft European regulations. Increased knowledge of telepresence will lead to greater acceptance of new psychotherapeutic frameworks for both patients and mental health professionals.

ABSTRACT. Our study focused on telepsychology practices in different European countries during the initial lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, where access to mental healthcare was highly limited. A large international online survey on the use of telepsychology, in this case focused on online psychological consultations during the COVID-19 pandemic was set up. Qualitative analyses of actual needs and concerns relating to the use of online consultations have already been published [1] as well as quantitative exploratory analyses which aimed to gain insights into determinants of telepsychology (non)adoption and experience [2]. The current study builds on this existing work by focusing exclusively on mental healthcare professionals who had adopted the practice of telepsychology, exploring the extent to which differences across countries can be retrieved and investigating social telepresence. Our first goal is to examine determinants of mental healthcare professionals’ perception of telepsychology in Europe during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our second goal is to investigate the determinants of social telepresence and the role of telepsychology perception in social telepresence. The analysis includes some personal characteristics such as gender, motivations and the place given to the training and experience of mental healthcare professionals. In our conceptual model, we assume that the personal characteristics and the level of training in telepsychology of mental healthcare professionals are factors that directly influence the perception of telepsychology, invariant for country. Additionally, we assume that the level of social telepresence experienced by the professionals is directly influenced by the motivation for telepsychology, the personal characteristics and the level of training in telepsychology. As a result, we also presume indirect effects of training on mental healthcare professionals’ perception of telepsychology. Dependent variables: (a) Perception of the concept of telepsychology, (b) Social telepresence. Independent variables: -(a) Personal characteristics of mental healthcare professionals: (1) Age, (2) gender, (3) professional status, (4) professional seniority. - (b) Motivations for telepsychology: (1) considering it a public health necessity, (2) meeting clients’ demands, (3) not wanting to lose income, (4) provide access to care, (5) being open-minded concerning digital mental health. - (c) Training : (1) Telepractice before the sanitary crisis, (2) Specific training We analysed the perception of social telepresence for mental healthcare professionals in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the UK. We ran econometric models to determine the factors that drove this perception. Results suggest that training – consisting of both telepsychology practices before the sanitary crisis and specific training – is a key factor impacting perception of telepsychology. We observe a correlation between telepsychology training and a good perception of telepsychology. Findings suggest that appropriate telepsychology training should enhance social telepresence directly and through experience of telepsychology in practice. This factor could improve the acceptance of telepsychology among professionals.

[1] De Witte, N.; Carlbring, P.; Etzelmueller, A.; Nordgreen, T.; Karekla, M.; Haddouk, L.; Belmont, A.; Overland, S.; Abi-Habib, R.; Bernaerts, S.; Brugnera, A.; Compare, A.; Duque, A.; Ebert, D.; Eimontas, J.; Kassianos, A.; Salgado, J.; Schwerdtfeger, A.; Tohme, P.; Van Assche, E.; Van Daele, T. Online consultations in mental healthcare during the COVID-19 outbreak: An international survey study on professionals' motivations and perceived barriers. Internet Interventions 2021 May 26;25:100405.

[2] Van Daele, T.; Mathiasen, K; Carlbring, P.; Bernaerts, S.; Brugnera, A.; Compare, A.; Duque, A.; Eimontas, J.; Gosar, D.; Haddouk, L.; Karekla, M.; Larsen, P.; Lo Coco, G.; Nordgreen, T.; Salgado, J.; Schwerdtfeger, A.R.; Van Assche, E.; Willems, S.; De Witte, N.A.J. Online consultations in mental healthcare: Modelling determinants of use and experience based on an international survey study at the onset of the pandemic. Internet Interv. 2022 Sep 5;30:100571.

ABSTRACT. Our study is based on a research program that began in January 2021 until the end of January 2023. This research was conducted in France with the support of the Caisse Nationale de Solidarité pour l'Autonomie (CNSA) and in collaboration with several caregiver associations, in a participatory research dynamic. The experiences of family caregivers are explored in the scientific literature, as well as their potential vulnerability to physical, psychological, and socioeconomic problems. Our objectives are: - To establish an inventory of the issues that constitute the experience of helping people with assisted living needs in France at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. - To provide an interdisciplinary analysis of this phenomenon and a multifactorial understanding of the obstacles that the pandemic has posed to the performance of certain tasks, the solutions that have been developed, and their impact on the lives of the individuals concerned. Each of these two analytical axes integrate the uses of technological tools for remote communication. Hence, we asked ourselves in what ways was the context of the COVID-19 pandemic health crisis shaping helping practices and relationships within the broader field of e-health?- In this context, we assume that the Covid 19 pandemic has led to significant changes in the practices of family caregivers. We also assume that our investigation will identify and characterize the behaviors related to the use of digital and e-health technologies by family caregivers. The population of our study includes adult family caregivers, living in France in rural or urban areas. Our sample is composed of 3 subgroups: - Caregivers of an adult with a physical disability - Family caregivers of an adult with a mental disability - Family caregivers of a senior citizen We chose a cross-sectional research methodology, which includes both qualitative and quantitative data collection tools. We created an online questionnaire and we conducted interviews with family caregivers. Ethically, all participants had to validate the Terms of Use of the digital platform, which we wrote in accordance with the GDPR. All participants also had to validate an online informed consent form, before they could access the questionnaire. The questionnaire has 70 items and several sections, which are composed of several sets of questions: A "pre-questionnaire," aimed at assessing the eligibility of respondents A section to assess the socio-economic status of participants A section to assess participants' helping practices A section to assess the physical and psychological health of the participants A section to assess the use of digital tools by participants. We created a database, derived from several recent surveys in the literature. We then compared the results of those who participated in the "COVID-Caregivers" survey with the results of the database from the literature. We conducted a descriptive analysis of the comparative results. We worked on a correlation of the results of our participants, in order to identify multidimensional indices of frailty. In particular, we studied the use of digital tools and their evolution among the participants. We used the method of thematic discourse analysis. To do this, we created a thematic analysis grid for the interviews. This grid was filled out "by hand" by the members of the research team who had conducted the interviews, as well as by another member of the research team (external evaluator). We also used the Nvivo software for an automated thematic analysis of the verbatim. We are currently finishing the data analysis and we will present results from 65 questionnaires and 10 semi-structured interviews with family caregivers, about their psychological health and digital practices during and since COVID-19 pandemics.

ABSTRACT. This presentation reviews the critical need for stress therapy for US firefighters, a teletherapy solution, an overview of how such online VR therapy works, and a proposed study of the effects of a treatment "in the wild" in actual fire stations. The potential is for increased teletherapy application usage and many lives saved.

Firefighters have a high prevalence of occupational stress, resulting in sleep disorders, suicide, hypertension, and insomnia. In four years, 513 firefighters committed suicide in the US, according to the Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance, which notes the actual count may be more than double that. A survey of over 7,000 firefighters showed 37% had sleep disorders, double the normal rate of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, twice the rate of vehicle accidents, and three times the rate of depression and anxiety. Much of this is unrecognized and under-appreciated: 83% of those with sleep disorders were undiagnosed and untreated.

Although treatments with VR/XR and other means by therapists have provided vital relief for firefighters, such one-on-one therapies are not scalable, and are not accessible to fire stations on a 24/7 basis.

One effective treatment for stress is the online use of VR meditation scenarios for reductions in depression and insomnia. An example of this is Healium’s sleep application Sleepium, an online immersive sleep meditation experience in VR (with Oculus Headsets) which also uses neurofeedback to enable the user to amplify specific brain waves associated with sleep. Brainwave data is monitored by sensors in a Brainlink EEG headband and tracked in the Oculus display, enabling the user to visualize and track the meditation/relaxation process. It has been implemented with thousands of military, healthcare, first responder and other users. Controlled studies demonstrate superiority over audio-only relaxation systems. Unlike one-on-one therapies, this process can be scalable to large communities, and can be delivered in situ on a 24/7 basis.

We propose to evaluate Healium’s system as an example of an online-delivered VR solution to firefighter stress and insomnia, by providing it to 20 firefighters on location for 60 days. Our expectation is that the severity of stress and insomnia will be significantly reduced, along with improvements in sleep architecture. This could save many lives, and lead to increased implementation and funding for VR-based teletherapy.

Methods Participants Twenty volunteer firefighters recruited from the L.A. County Fire Department will utilize Sleepium for 60 days.

Assessment Procedure and Clinical Measurement Instruments The firefighters’ level of stress related to sleep disorders will be assessed before and after the treatment by the Brunel Mood Scale, which has been found reliable in measuring Tension and Depression. Sleep difficulties will be assessed prior to treatment and after the treatment by the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). The results of our study will be reported during CYPSY26.

Equipment HEALIUM’s application Sleepium, with Oculus headsets and Brainlink EEG headbands.

Treatment 20 firefighters will be provided with Sleepium, instructed in its use, and will be enabled to use it every time they sleep for 60 days. The researchers will monitor progress, be available to answer questions, and check on any firefighter who has temporarily stopped usage. Support is critical for such “in the wild” treatments in fire stations full of noise, lights, activity, and sirens, as opposed to normal calm laboratory settings.

Funding Funding for the Online VR Therapy for Specific Enhancement of Wellness and Reduction in Insomnia Among Firefighters project is underway.

Discussant:

ABSTRACT. Certain personality characteristics may mean an individual is more inclined to recognize experiences that members of other groups encounter. This is important when considering groups in a position of perceived power who do not experience the same discrimination as racially minoritized groups. Similarly, specific personality characteristics may indicate an individual is more inclined to update beliefs after a significant event. Certain personality traits may indicate an individual is more inclined to recognize the experiences members of another group encounter. This may be especially important when considering groups in a position of perceived power who do not experience the same degree of discrimination as racially minoritized groups. Specific personality traits may also indicate whether an individual is more inclined to update beliefs after a significant event (e.g., death of George Floyd). In our sample of Black and White individuals combined, higher self-reported conscientiousness and openness showed statistically significant positive correlation to online mediated exposure to a racist reality (OMERR) subscale on the Perceived Online Racism Scale (PORS). Openness also showed a statistically significant positive relationship with the vicarious exposure to racial cyber-aggression (VERCA). We anticipate that Black individuals will report higher OMERR and VERCA scores than White individuals, and differences in OMERR and VERCA scores among White individuals dependent on personality and time spent online. Understanding personality’s role may enhance chances of leveraging change in systemic issues.

ABSTRACT. Awe experiences stem from vast stimuli that defy individuals’ accustomed mental schemas, thus engendering the need to accommodate them. Nature-based experiences have resulted as the most frequent elicitors of awe including the case of simulated naturalistic scenarios in Virtual Reality. Nature itself holds a key potential to improve wellbeing, and when it is enriched by awe, it can invite a positive transformation, as suggested by the Matryoshka model. According to this model, one of the awe’s highest transformative potential consists in ameliorating depressive symptoms, starting from contrasting the decay of mood by enhancing positive emotions and decreasing negative ones. An increasing number of studies have shown the unique potential of virtual reality for inducing awe, even resembling natural scenarios as well as paradoxical situations in a controlled and ecological way. However, the extent to which repeated simulated nature-based experiences of awe in the long run can impact an individual's wellbeing is still to be investigated. In this study, participants participated in 5 VR sessions of nature-based awe-inspiring scenarios over 3 weeks, and they were asked the frequency they felt positive emotions during the week post-intervention. The tools used were the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire, the Big Five OCEAN Assessment, and the Dispositional Positive Emotion Scale. The simulations were derived from the app “Within”. Participants were high school students at an A​merican curriculum-based international school in Hong Kong. There was one experimental group throughout the entire study, which began with N=20 participants. However, only 7 participants remained at the end of the study, and the data analyzed were from these 7 participants (all female). Dispositional variables were measured (i.e., disposition to live positive emotions including awe on a frequent base; Openness to Experience personality trait) as potential moderators of awe’s impact on emotions intensity. The most salient result was the increase in participants’ level of contentment. A statistical test was conducted to determine which changes in emotion were significant. To test the statistical significance of the change in emotions and openness levels, a one sample t-test for difference in means between initial and final scores was conducted. The null hypothesis was that there is no significant difference between the participants initial and final scores. The significance level used was a = 0.05. Only the increase in contentment was shown to be statistically significant. Overall happiness, Openness to Experience, and frequency of experiencing positive emotion including awe post-VR did not show statistically significant change. Moreover, the data showed a strong positive correlation between the participants’ Openness to Experience and disposition to awe. The results still posit interesting considerations about the ability of VR to treat mood disorders through increasing positive emotions: 1) it may only take a brief moment of awe to initiate a cascade of benefits for well-being, including increased connection to surroundings, human agency, and contentment, 2) patients can be considered for VR interventions according to their level of openness for optimal success, and 3) contentment, while not necessarily superior to happiness, may be more useful in treating mood disorders in terms of reaping more long-term benefits for mental well-being.

ABSTRACT. Unwanted loneliness in the elderly is a major problem worldwide because of its negative effects on quality of life and health. In addition, public resources aimed to take care of elderly people living alone are limited. The DIAL project aims to develop an innovative and easy-to-use technological solution for the detection and management of unwanted loneliness in the elderly. This solution consists of a virtual voice assistant (DIAL), which will provide support and promote the autonomy of the elderly, assisting them in daily activities in their environment, and providing solutions to everyday needs targeting unwanted loneliness. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to obtain information about the daily needs of the elderly, and possible solutions through a co-design methodology. This paper presents an innovative methodology based on hexagonal cards used in the context of two focus groups and created to learn about the difficulties faced by the elderly in their daily lives and to generate different solutions. This methodology includes 335 hexagonal cards containing 17 different sections: empathizing, defining, devising, prototyping, evaluating, devices, services, co-creation, problem, typology solutions, deficiencies, solutions, unwanted loneliness, fun-leisure, emotions and daily activities. The hexagonal cards act as visual triggers and were designed taking into account the different degrees of frailty of the elderly. The cards allow working on the 5 existing dimensions in the co-design process in DIAL: empathizing (understanding what they do in their daily life and what is important to them), defining (knowing the difficulties they face), devising (looking for alternative solutions), prototyping (turning the idea into a digital prototype) and evaluating (validating the technological solution). In addition, a "Devices" and a "Services" section were added to complement the project needs.

A sample consisting of a total of 11 elderly people (women=63.6%; M=77.36, SD=7.24). They were asked about their needs and the search for possible solutions. The information obtained through the cards was analyzed qualitatively. Results showed that the participants faced significant limitations in their daily routines, particularly related to mobility and memory, with difficulties reported in activities such as showering, cleaning, shopping, and remembering tasks like medication schedules and hydration. Additionally, concerning loneliness, they struggle with the feeling mainly at night and they refer to missing different social activities (such as drinking coffee with friends). Based on these findings, specific functionalities were identified and incorporated into the design of the DIAL prototype. We are currently conducting a pilot study to test the effectiveness of the technology in detecting and treating unwanted loneliness.

ABSTRACT. Fear, phobia, and trauma are complex psychological phenomena that impact individuals' well-being and quality of life (Bonevski & Naumovska, 2018). Understanding the underlying mechanisms and neural correlates of these conditions is crucial for effective diagnosis, treatment, and interventions (Lanius et al., 2011). Traditional psychometric assessments have limitations, such as self-report biases and the inability to capture physiological responses (Cripps, 2017) while neurophysiological measures provide objective and continuous monitoring of physiological responses (Petrescu et al., 2020). Physiological measures and psychometric assessments are two dimensions separately used in psychiatric or psychological diagnosis and treatment planning (Reichenberg & Seligman, 2016). According to Patrick et al. (2019), there are still significant challenges that have not been completely addressed in the literature and that is to incorporate neurophysiological variables into psychological assessments. To address this limitation, researchers have turned to neurophysiological data obtained through biometric sensors to complement traditional psychometric assessments.

Research Questions:

i. To what extent is there synchronization between self-reported psychological states (fear, phobia, and trauma) and neurophysiological data obtained using biometric sensors?

ii. Are there specific temporal patterns or associations between declarative responses to psychometric tests and the corresponding neurophysiological markers related to fear, phobia, and trauma?

Hypothesis:

i. There will be a significant positive correlation between self-reported psychological states (fear, phobia, and trauma) and neurophysiological data obtained using biometric sensors, indicating synchronization between subjective experiences and objective physiological manifestations.

ii. Certain specific temporal patterns or associations will be observed between declarative responses to psychometric tests and the corresponding neurophysiological markers related to fear, phobia, and trauma, suggesting a temporal relationship and potential synchronization between these two domains.

The study will recruit 50 normal-functioning young adults aged 18-30 years old who must not be diagnosed with any psychological or psychiatric disorder. Informed consent will be obtained from each participant, outlining the purpose, procedures, and confidentiality measures. Participants will be evaluated using a combination of (1) Psychometric Assessments: Phobia Questionnaire (PHQ), Fear Survey Schedule (FSS), and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) Questionnaire and (2) Biometric Data Acquisition: heart rate variability (HRV) and galvanic skin response (GSR) will be used to collect neurophysiological data. The sensors will be applied according to standard protocols and to ensure accurate recording of the collected data two protocols will be implemented: data recording management and data processing. Correlation analysis and machine learning algorithms will be used to determine the association between self-reported psychological states and neurophysiological markers, indicating synchronization between subjective experiences and objective physiological manifestations. Temporal patterns will be explored using time-series analysis to examine patterns in physiological responses over time, while event-related potentials will be used to investigate the neural responses triggered by specific stimuli.

ABSTRACT. The present study aimed to validate the touchscreen-based technology of the Social Stress Trier Test (digital TSST) as a suitable method for inducing experimental stress in adolescents. By using digital TSST we induced effects on different physiological and psychological markers such as salivary cortisol, anxiety, and emotional states. Effects were evaluated with quantitative and qualitative methods. 35 adolescents voluntarily participated in the study (15.6 ± 0.73 years, aged between 14 and 17; 45.7% of participants were male and 54.3% were female; Body Mass Index BMI=21.6 ± 3.13 kg/m2). Exclusion criteria were an acute or chronic somatic or psychiatric disease, medication intake, and drug abuse. Experimental digital TSST was conducted between 09:00 and 13:00 a.m. and lasted between 45–50 minutes (5 min for each of the three digital tasks, 25 minutes for stress recovery, and the time of preparation and the collection of saliva samples). A touchscreen tablet was used to administer digital tasks. All the tests are performed in front of a commission made up of two unknown persons dressed in white lab coats. The first digital test (5 min) involves following the line marked on the touchscreen of the tablet without deviating from the set path. If there is a small deviation, an unpleasant sound is produced, and the participant is obliged to start the test from the beginning. The second digital test (5 min) induces stress by asking the participants to make arithmetic subtraction calculations in front of the commission and to communicate the result aloud. If the result of the calculation is incorrect, the electronic device shall verbally inform the participants that they are wrong and that they must resume the arithmetic subtraction calculations from the standard number. The third digital test (5 min) induces stress by solving an exercise using a room puzzle. Saliva samples were obtained 2 min before the experiment as well as 2 min after each digital test and also at the end of the test (T0, T5, T10, T15, and T40). The perceived stress scale (PSS) and the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) used for measuring levels of anxiety were applied pre-test and post-test. The difficulties in performing the digital TSST were also assessed. The semi-structured interview-based qualitative analysis was conducted to clarify the importance of the stressful experience of the participants exposed to digital TSST. Our results showed that digital TSST effectively induces psychosocial stress, with altered levels of cortisol, cognitive anxiety, somatic anxiety, and arousal, but also decreased satisfaction and control reactions. The cortisol response was similar in both sexes, with a significant difference at T40 (p <0.025). The typical experiences common to all participants according to each stress trial were analyzed. At a qualitative level, the two essential theoretically stressful components used by the digital TSST, namely evaluative social threat, and uncontrollability, were experienced by the participants. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences between mean values of baseline salivary cortisol and mean salivary cortisol at each point during the stress test. The results suggest that physiological and psychological responses to digital TSST are specific for each of the participants. The use of a qualitative evaluation method allowed us to provide a valid point of view on understanding the significant experience of the participants during this specific stressful procedure. The digital version of TSST proposed in this study is a reliable, portable, easy-to-use, and suitable method for assessing hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) dysfunctionalities.

Funding: Research relating to this abstract was funded by the RO-MD Cross-Border Program, Priority 4.1 - "Support to the development of health services and access to health", project code: 1HARD/4.1/93.

ABSTRACT. By December 2019, COVID-19 had spread worldwide, causing a worldwide pandemic and forcing counties to enter mandatory social isolation and quarantine. The immediate mandated closure of schools was one such measure executed by the Iranian government (Rahmanzade, 2020), which led to a countrywide online educational system. Consequently, the Internet became a major source of information (Ferri et al., 2020) exposing Iranian adolescents to an unprecedented degree of unsupervised access to net surfing increasing day by day (Khalajabadi Farahani, 2019). This study is a quantitative and correlational approach to evaluate the impact of net Surfing on sexual behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. To evaluate the hypothesis, a sample population of 154 adolescent participants was chosen who completed the questionnaire. They were selected as an association for data collection incorporating an appropriate and targeted sampling strategy using social media. Data collection tools were Ghavidel's (2012) Sexual Behavior questionnaire and also Mojaradi questionnaire (2014) which have been validated and reliable in Iran. Through the correlation coefficient, there is a significant relationship between net surfing and sexual behavior among adolescents ages 15 to 17. Although the issue of the Internet and its widespread use has already been addressed, in the current quarantine situation the need to pay more attention to these vulnerable adolescent groups seems necessary. Given the taboos that are encountered in the field of sex education in Iran during the questionnaire, it is suggested that more attention be paid to future research.

ABSTRACT. 1. Helicopter Simulators

What motivates the use of simulators is the possibility to safely recreate real critical situations already encountered, in order to allow the crew to react in a timely manner, with good practices. The quality of this training is constantly evolving because air transport is still faced with man-made accidents, which is not acceptable.

If the goal of simulators is to create the illusion of being in a real system, they still have many limitations, including sensorimotor and cognitive biases. It is therefore necessary to be aware of these limits in order to avoid "negative" training. This is all the more important as, in the future, the hours of training in simulators will only increase. This will reduce the number of hours of real flights for the same level of skill, which will reduce the cost of initial training.

2. The simulator sickness

The number of people affected (discomfort) in simulators is decreasing with time, but their number is still too important. The main cause of this discomfort is associated with VIMS (Visually Induced Motion Sickness). To minimize VIMS and make the simulator acceptable, the quality of the visual scene is crucial. To achieve this, the industry uses image generators specifically designed to guarantee the fluidity and quality of the content.

A minority of simulators have a motion platform to produce vestibular and proprioceptive stimuli and make the system more realistic. These stimulations have low amplitudes of +/- 2 g and for a short duration. The inclinations of the cabin do not exceed +/-20° around the vertical [6]. The reproduction of angular accelerations around the vertical axis is very limited.

As an example and with simulators with motion platform, here are two returns that illustrate our approach to kinetosis:

1 - Review of an helicopter simulator “not completely adjusted” : - Results: SSQ level Confort & slight discomfort | discomfort | Sick % of Pilots 60 | 40 | 0

2 – Report on another helicopter simulator that has been in operation for several years: - Results: SSQ level Confort slight discomfort discomfort Sick % of Pilotes 67 22 11 0

We have come to the conclusion that the development of a simulator remains a delicate operation. And there remains a threshold of discomfort below which it is difficult to go. It would be useful to understand in detail what the cause is in order to be able to reduce this threshold further.

ABSTRACT. Introduction. Social Physique Anxiety (SPA) is the fear associated with one’s physical appearance being evaluated by others. State SPA, as opposed to Trait SPA, is triggered by specific situations that will elicit SPA. The context of the anxiogenic exposure is essential to assess State SPA, as opposed to Trait SPA which refers to a stable predisposition to experience SPA. Until now, no research has used virtual reality (VR) to create stimuli that can trigger State SPA.

Objective and hypothesis. The purpose of the study is to validate a virtual environment (VE) simulating an anxiogenic situation to induce State SPA. The VE is used in a pilot randomized control trial (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04630184) focusing on psychological and physical activity interventions to improve Trait and State SPA of women living with obesity. The primary hypothesis of the current validation study is that women living with obesity will have more State SPA post immersion in the VE compared to the control participants while controlling for Trait SPA. Secondly, the VE will be safe for the participant, will induce few or no cybersickness, and will be associated with high scores of presence.

Methods. In this cross-sectional study, 20 women (Body Mass Index (BMI) = 22.08 ± 2.42 Kg.m2; Trait SPA = 19.30 ± 4.89), reporting feeling “not at all” or “only a little uncomfortable” when wearing a swimsuit have been recruited as part of the control group. The experimental group consisted in 25 women living with obesity and elevated Trait SPA from the pilot randomized control trial (BMI = 39.82 ± 6.19 Kg.m2; Trait SPA = 34.92 ± 4.31). All participants had a 10-minute immersion in a virtual swimming pool environment using an Oculus Rift headset and an Intel® CoreTM i7-10700 computer with a core processor unit of 2.9GHz and RAM 32.0 Gb and a NVIDIQ GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER graphics card. Participants were not able to see their virtual body, but they experienced the immersion as if sitting on a chair, on the side of a swimming pool, and exposed to different virtual characters looking at them. Before the immersion, the characteristics of participants were assessed (i.e. anthropometric and sociodemographic data, immersive tendencies, body appreciation, internalization of weight bias, and Trait SPA). After the immersion, the State Social Physique Anxiety scale (S-SPAS) was administered and the sense of presence in VR was measured using the Independent Television Commission - Sense of Presence Inventory (ITC-SOPI). Cybersickness was assessed before and after immersion with the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire.

Results. The first hypothesis was tested using an ANCOVA, with Trait SPA used as a covariable to control for differences in SPA among participants before the immersion. Results showed a statistically significant difference (p=0.016) on the State SPA questionnaire, with estimated marginal mean (EMM) scores higher for the experimental group (EMM= 29.15, SE = 0.99) than for the control group (EMM= 24.29, SE = 1.18). The sense of presence factor scores for spatial presence, engagement and naturalness were above average (each of them close to 3/5) and the negative effects factor score was close to 1.7/5, without statistically significant differences between groups (spatial presence (p=0.218), engagement (p=0.583), naturalness (p=0.091) and negative effects (p=0.945)). All Cybersickness factor scores did not increase post immersion in both groups.

Conclusion. This study suggests that the VE induce State SPA in women with obesity and elevated SPA. Results about sense of presence and cybersickness confirmed the VE induces a good presence and can safely be used. The clinical implications for using this VE in clinical research with people with obesity will be discussed.

ABSTRACT. Introduction and objectives: Evidence-based cognitive-behavioral treatments for emotional disorders (ED) (i.e., depressive and anxiety disorders) exist (Nathan & Gorman, 2015), however, they only reach less than 50% of patients who need them (Kohn et al., 2004). Due to ED are the most common psychological disorders (WHO, 2022) and involve significant disability as well as large costs (Baxter et al., 2014; Kessler, 2012), it is critical to develop and implement evidence-based, cost-effective treatments that reach all people with ED. In this regard, the combination of three strategies may help: the transdiagnostic perspective, the group format and the blended format. The transdiagnostic approach (Brown & Barlow, 2009) allows different disorders to be treated with a single protocol, in addition to better addressing comorbid presentations. The group format also reduces costs and has been shown to be comparable to the individual format (e.g., Burlingame et al., 2013; Jónsson et al., 2011). Regarding the blended format (face-to-face therapy + online therapy), it facilitates treatment accessibility and reduces therapist time, while allowing greater personalization than totally self-administered online treatments and probably implies lower dropout rates (e.g., Kooistra et al., 2019; Romijn et al., 2021). To our knowledge, treatments combining these three intervention strategies for ED have not yet been studied. The present work is part of a broader study that aims to analyze the feasibility and acceptability of a treatment protocol for ED based on transdiagnostic perspective and applied in group and blended format. This pilot feasibility study is currently ongoing (Díaz-García et al., 2021). In the present work, we intend to study and present preliminary data on the acceptability and usability of the participants who have completed the treatment so far. Sample and method: Participants (n = 13) were adults (92.31% females) from a community sample with a DSM-5 diagnosis for ED, with an average age of 30.54 years (SD = 10.98; range = 19 to 54). The intervention lasts 24 weeks and combined a total of 8 group sessions via videoconference (2 hours, every 3 weeks) with self-applied online therapy. This is a single group trial, with three assessment moments: pre-treatment, post-treatment and follow-up (3 months). Post-module and post-group sessions measures are also collected. Results: According to the Expectations and opinion of treatment scales (Borkovec & Nau, 1972), participants showed high expectations towards the treatment before starting therapy. A mean of 46.77 (SD = 12.32; range = 13 to 60) was obtained, with 60 being the maximum score on the scale. In addition, they also showed high satisfaction with the treatment after completion of the intervention, with a mean score of 48 (SD = 10.16; range = 26 to 60). Regarding the usability of the system after using the online platform (SUS; Bangor et al., 2008; Brooke, 1996), participants obtained a mean score of 77.5 (SD = 18.14; range = 37.5 to 95). This scale ranges from 0 to 100 and higher scores imply better usability. Regarding the participants’ opinion, the modules were valued at 7.47 on average (SD = 0.38) on a scale ranging from 0 to 10. Data on adherence to the platform and videoconference group sessions will be also presented in the poster. Discussion/Conclusions: These preliminary results showed the appropriateness of this treatment to the problem and target population. They also suggested that the web platform and the content of the modules were well accepted by the participants. Although more research is needed on this topic, these results seem to indicate that a blended transdiagnostic group treatment would be well accepted by patients with ED. This type of intervention would mean reaching more people, reducing resources and time of therapists.

ABSTRACT. The availability of virtual reality (VR) in numerous clinical contexts has been made possible by recent technological advancements. One application is using VR for cognitive interventions with individuals who have mental disorders. Predicting the emotional states of users could help to prevent their discouragement during VR interventions. We can monitor the emotional states of individuals using sensors like an external camera, as they engage in various tasks within VR environments. The emotional state of VR users can be measured through arousal and valence, as per the Circumplex model. We used the Remote Collaborative and Affective Interactions (RECOLA) database of emotional behaviours. We processed video frames from 18 RECOLA videos. Due to the headset in VR systems, we detected faces and cropped the images of faces to use the lower half of the face only. We labeled the images with arousal and valence values to reflect various emotions. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs), specifically MobileNet-v2 and ResNets-18, were then used to predict arousal and valence values. MobileNet-v2 outperforms ResNet-18 as well as others from the literature. We achieved a root mean squared error (RMSE), Pearson’s correlation coefficient (PCC), and Concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) of 0.1495, 0.6387, and 0.6081 for arousal, and 0.0996, 0.6453, and 0.6232 for valence. Our work acts as a proof-of-concept for predicting emotional states from arousal and valence values via visual data of users immersed in VR experiences. In the future, predicted emotions could be used to automatically adjust the VR environment for individuals engaged in cognitive interventions.

ABSTRACT. Introduction: In addition to verbal expressions, humans can recognize others’ emotional states through nonverbal expressions, including body motions. Prior studies have suggested visualization methods for body sensation and motion maps (BSM and BMM) for multiple emotions (i.e., happiness, sadness, anger, disgust, fear, or surprise) and psychiatric symptoms (i.e., anxiety or depression). Theories suggest that emotional BSM is related to physiological responses and emotional body motions, and emotional BMM is related to voluntary and involuntary body motions. However, there was no evidence of the differences or similarities between emotional BSM and BMM, and it was not invested in participants’ psychiatric symptoms. In this study, we proposed a method for determining the similarity between BSM and BMM and compared the participants’ levels of general psychiatric symptoms.

Method: We recruited 29 participants (mean age 24 ± 2.5 years). Each participant’s subjective sensation toward the activation and deactivation of the body part was obtained using a computer-based self-report method (BSM). Participants were asked to color the body parts they felt ‘activated’ or ‘deactivated’ under the corresponding emotions of happiness, sadness, surprise, anger, disgust, fear, and neutral, using a mouse click. The number of clicks corresponding to the feelings of activation and deactivation was recorded for each body part. Similarly, participants performed a total of 140 trials of free body movement for seven emotions for 5 s, which were measured using a full-body motion capture system (Motive 2.0.1, Natural Point, Oregon, USA). The movement value of each body part (19 parts) was then averaged over 20 trials. The participant’s body part movement being activated and deactivated under each emotion was calculated by subtracting the average values of each body part in the seven emotion conditions (BMM). The similarity between the BSM and BMM was calculated as the ratio of having the same activation (+) / deactivation (-) / non-activation (0) in each body part for each emotion. Participants’ mental status was measured using the total score of the psychiatric symptom checklist-90-revised (SCL-90-R).

Results: The similarity between BSM and BMM showed an average of 52.89% among emotions (happy 56.99%; sad 59.53%; surprised 48.28%; angry 51.00%; disgust 49.55%; fearful 55.17%; neutral 49.73%). There were shared emotional features between BSM and BMM of enhanced upper body and limb sensation in happy, decreased limb sensation in sad, increased sensation in upper limb in angry, and decreased sensation in fearful emotions. There was a significant negative correlation between the total SCL-90-R score and similarity in the happy emotion (r (27) = –0.448, p < .05), and we also will present novel visualizations for BSM and BMM.

Discussion: First, we found that the emotional sensation features of body activation or deactivation reflect one’s real body motion. We speculate that the shared emotional features in a body part would indicate learned cultural-emotional elements through socialization, which are related to the skeletomuscular system. Second, we found that the similarity between emotional BSM and BMM might be related to psychiatric symptom levels. Although the results of the current pilot study only provide a brief measure of psychiatric symptom levels, we found a significant correlation in some features. We believe that our method of comparing BSM and BMM can contribute to future studies on emotional and psychiatric disorders, including depression, autism, and schizophrenia.

Acknowledgement: This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (*MSIT) (No. 2021R1A2C2013479 and No. 2021M3A9E4080780, Bio & Medical Technology Development Program). *Ministry of Science and ICT

ABSTRACT. Virtual and augmented realities can be considered as a true creative medium. It’s integrating specific properties such as immersion, interaction and presence which reveals a strong artistic potential: it becomes possible to play with spatial or physical constraints (gravity, scale of the objects and the virtual environment), to transform time (slow it down, speed it up, reverse it), to create multidimensional spaces (in 2D, 3D and even more dimensions). Paradoxes and mise en abyme are thus possible, and regarding the representation of the human body, embodiment allows changing its perspective and/or its appearance. All these properties are sources of inspiration to engage and transport participants into imaginary worlds and wonder. We propose to discover them through many illustrated experiences, ways of exhibiting and also through a real-time and collective improvisation.

ABSTRACT. Background: Awe experiences are characterized by feelings of perceived vastness and the need for accommodation (Keltner & Haidt, 2003); they occur when we perceive something that seems too big to fit into what we know, so it expands or rearranges our pattern of thoughts. This suggests that awe is sensitive to interindividual differences, making it difficult to define, capture, or prompt. Yet, despite its potential to be profoundly moving, with perspective shifts creating long-lasting changes (Stepanova et al., 2019), awe lacks attention from cognitive media theories (Sari, 2019). As storytellers now leverage the immersive capability of virtual reality (VR) to prompt awe, combining a powerful medium with an already strong emotional experience, they are creating the capacity for supercharged experiences. This study aims to better understand how awe is constructed in VR settings, based on the Theory of Constructed Emotions (Barrett, 2014), by testing the contribution of priming (how experiences are introduced) on the emotional appraisal of VR experiences. This theory presents emotion instances as predictive constructions integrating perceptual stimuli, stimuli knowledge, past experiences, internal changes, and emotional concepts.

Method: Participants: Thirty-eight participants (16M, 21F, 1NB) aged 18-75 (mean: 32.58, SD: 13.48) were recruited using volunteer communities and social media. Measures: Physiological data (heart-rate variability and electrodermal activity), duration perception, and self-reports (PANAS + eight awe-related items) were used to measure awe. Based on Chirico et al. (2018), the additional items measured three subscales: awe, perceived vastness, and need for accommodation. Four VR experiences were used as stimuli: 2 awe-inducing and 2 calm-inducing. They were presented using a Meta Quest 2 while physiological measures were collected using an Empatica E4 and Qualtrics was used to present and collect informed consent, duration perception, and questionnaires.

Procedure: The study used a mixed design with priming as a between-participants comparison and experience as a within-participants comparison. Priming was done by informing each half of the group verbally and through the informed consent form that they would experience 4 awe-inducing (vs. 4 calm-inducing) experiences.

After reading and signing the informed consent form, participants were told about the flow of the experiment and instructed on how to use the E4 wristband to generate time stamps (one button press). They underwent three baseline sessions (one in real-life and two in VR) to assess their duration perception skills and collect physiological data under neutral settings. The real-life baseline and first VR baseline were done before the four experiences, followed by the second VR baseline. After each of the four experiences, participants completed the adapted PANAS (question order was randomized each time). After the second VR baseline, participants provided their demographics, VR user experience, and English language proficiency as potential mediators of emotion construction.

Results: Results of awe and calm experiences were averaged for relevant variables. Factorial analyses of self-reports revealed a main effect of the experience (F(1, 36) = 13.787), p < .001) but no main effect of priming and no interaction effect. The same analysis was performed for duration perception and skin response conductance mean, no significant effects were observed. Analysis of heart-rate variability is underway.

Conclusion: Self-report findings are in line with current literature and suggest that awe can effectively be designed into VR content using known elicitors, but priming does not affect the emotional appraisal of experiences. Reliability checks for the questionnaire indicate that language proficiency might affect affordance or understanding of language-specific emotional concepts. Taken altogether, the findings highlight the need for a more holistic approach to capture and measure awe, possibly using more objective measures such as piloerection or more qualitative measures.

ABSTRACT. Introduction: Virtual Embodiment (VE) allows one to enter a VR environment and experience the illusion that the body seen in a virtual mirror is your own. Studies have shown that experiencing a different body in VE can lead to changes in implicit biases. This study aimed to examine the relationship between a specially designed Virtual Embodiment environment and subsequent changes in adolescents' self-perceptions (self-efficacy and self-esteem).

Method: The study was approved by the authors ’Ethics Committee’. The final sample will include 160 high school students; the initial results reported here include 37 students. Students are recruited via their schools. Inclusion criteria were the ability to provide informed consent, aged 12-18, and fluency in Hebrew. Exclusion criteria included a history of epilepsy or any adverse reactions in the past to bright or flashing lights.

Procedure: Participants were randomly divided into two groups (an experimental group using a VE scenario and a control group using a standard VR scenario). The participants' parents signed informed consent forms, and the participants consented orally. Participants completed self-efficacy and self-esteem questionnaires. They were then subjected to a VE or VR environment before completing the questionnaires again. The experimental group participants were exposed to a virtual space in which they saw themselves in a virtual mirror as heroes capable of performing tasks they could not perform in real life. The control group participants will be exposed to the same virtual space, but without a virtual mirror and without seeing themselves as heros. Along with self-report measures that assessed prior experience with VR, a,h both study groups completed immersion and absorption propensity questionnaires.

Virtual Reality and Virtual Embodiment Equipment: The VE was hosted on a DELL G5 5587 laptop with Oculus Rift and touch controllers, the software VE environment was written by Sonarion LTD using Unity

Results: The results presented here represent a pilot study of 37 participants, all of whom used the VE space. Anticipated results will include 160 students randomized into two groups. The average age of the sample was 13.5 (1.3), and 62.2% were boys. A paired samples T-test shows no significant difference in pre and post VE self-esteem levels (T(36)=0.1.2, ns) and a significant difference in pre and post VE self-efficacy levels (T(36)=-3.6, p<0.05).

Discussion:In recent decades, virtual reality has significantly increased its use to promote mental well-being. Virtual reality holds enormous promise for promoting successful, brief, cost-effective, and widely available mental health treatments. If the study's findings show that changes in self-efficacy are possible after a short period through VE, as predicted and seen in the pilot data, the findings are expected to be used to promote community or group programs that are low-cost, short-term, and accessible to the entire community. For the first time, this research looks into the potential of using virtual Embodiment to change self-perception among "healthy" teenagers. Its findings could pave the way for further research into using VE for other purposes.

ABSTRACT. Introduction: Electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) could be a useful human augmentation technology for people with or without handicaps. The users’ performance can be enhanced through artificial EMS support, and the enhanced performance is called a preemptive gain. However, a preemptive gain can also disturb a user’s sense of agency (SOA); therefore, a balance between preemptive gain and SOA is needed for successful EMS support. A previous study suggested a method for achieving this balance; however, the effects of different users and body locations have not yet been investigated.

Method: The current study involved five right-handed participants (age: 29.0 ± 4.0 years). We used a full-body motion tracking suit that can provide multiple EMS points in the whole body (Teslasuit, VR Electronics Ltd., UK). Because we only had a single suit, we limited the size of the participants. Only participants with heights of 170–180 cm and weights of 60–75 kg were recruited for this study. First, we created individualized EMS levels. If the participant noticed the existence of an EMS, we set it to the minimum level. If a participant reported pain with the current EMS, we set it to the maximum level. The individualized intensity level for each participant was determined when the muscle started to contract with the current EMS level between the minimum and maximum levels. Second, the baseline reaction time was measured without EMS. The preemptive gain was defined as the difference between each EMS condition and the baseline value. The reaction times of individuals were measured at different body locations (left-arm, right-arm, left-leg, and right-leg). The baseline SOA level for each condition was also measured using a 7-point-likert scale. In the main task, the participants moved their body parts when the visual target appeared. The EMS was presented according to planned offset levels: range 0–300 ms; interval 50 ms; and four body locations, including the left-arm, right-arm, left-leg, and right-leg. Because we had four trials for each condition, 112 trials were conducted for each participant, and the SOA levels in each trial were measured. We used linear regression analysis for each body location and calculated the balance point between preemptive gain and SOA, as used in a previous study.

Results: We found balance points for all participants and their body parts. The participants reported a maximum rating of agency in the planned offset range, and there was a balanced preemptive gain in all participants and locations. We also observed user and location differences. There were different user gains from 33.25 to 92.25 ms, and there were different location gains; left-arm: 66.60; right-arm: 41.60; left-leg: 43.60; right-leg: 53.40 ms.

Discussion: In this study, we successfully found the balanced points between preemptive gain and SOA, and also found user and location differences. We believe that the user differences may be related to an individual’s tolerance to EMS. If somebody is more tolerant to EMS, they may have larger gains in the balance between preemptive gain and SOA; otherwise, they may have limited benefits. Different responses were observed in different body parts. Human augmentation should be expanded to full-body parts because each user has different inquiries. In this study, different muscles showed different balance points, which was attributed to the size of the muscle or dominant hand; however, a rigorous investigation should be conducted. We believe that our study of the balance between preemptive gain and SOA can contribute to full-body EMS development. With appropriate human augmentation, human performance or rehabilitation in full-body interactions can be improved.

Acknowledgment: This work was supported by the NRF and IITP grants funded by the Korean government (2021-0-00590 and 2021R1A2C2013479).

ABSTRACT. 360-degree storytelling footage recorded in the Rhino Camp refugee settlement in West Nile the Northern part of Uganda with South Sudanese Trauma survivors who are now refugees. In the videos, the survivors narrate their stories relating to their trip from their home country to the refugee camps, the difficulty, and stress they experienced while fleeing the violence, and their relationship with others. The 360-degree footage produced is then loaded into smartphones and viewed offline via inexpensive VR headsets. The content is then interchanged e.g. survivor X views, listens, and learns from survivor Y and vice vasa with an aim of making them have shared learning as well as empathy, trust, and psychological healing. The VR content is accompanied by other activities like cultural galas and riddles. And later feedback sessions to check the lessons learned and how they feel after engaging with the tool. This experiential and interactive learning since its launch in 2020 has contributed positively to reconciliation, reduced tension, and built social cohesion as well as mental well-being. Psychologically 7/10 of the refugee women and youth were stressed due to the situation they went through back in their home countries. They still carry the emotional baggage that tribe X who are present in the refugee settlement caused them troubles and stress. But it started with virtual meetings and later in-person, creating friendships, and coexistence. The virtual and storytelling exchanges and the shared learnings have contributed positively to shaping the character of the refugees. Before these survivors live in fear and distrust towards each other for example tribe Y cannot cross to the refugee settlement hosting tribe X and often time’s when they meet they exchange bitter expressions. This is because of the ethnic division back in their home country. With the political, and tribal unrest and military confrontation in many parts of South Sudan, the majority of the population escaped to the neighboring countries in pursuit of better protection of their lives. Women and children make up 86% of the refugee population, they possess all forms of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) cases recorded by police and Refugee Welfare Committees including defilement, rape, early marriages, indecent assault, and domestic violence. Given the significant gender gaps in education and traditional practices, South Sudan‘s diverse socio-cultural groups are overall strongly influenced by patriarchal norms and values, which has contributed to higher stress, anxiety, and depression for girls and women. Meanwhile, many who witnessed their own relatives murdered or abused crossed carrying along with them severe mental disorders that have resulted in suicides and suicide attempts, increased patients in the hospitals yet without any serious sickness, cases of drug abuse, and among others as a result of frustrations. But finding a low-cost and rapid way to generate healing is rapidly scalable, saves time and money in a situation like the refugee camps where there is a shortage of mental health workers as well as reduces the need to spend much time in unproductive engagements. Using innovative fun technology associated with entertainment improves the desirability and acceptability of this novel approach Instead of a didactic training model. With this exciting model, providers will engage with the tool and show it to others even during their off-duty hours.

ABSTRACT. Introspection, the examination or observation of one’s own mental and emotional processes, can give us privileged access to our mental states so that we can better understand ourselves in order to shape our beliefs and make more informed decisions, ultimately improving mental well-being. While it has been well theorized psychologically and several techniques exist, there are still challenges to introspection that can cloud our self-perceptions and many find it difficult to honestly examine their own thoughts and feelings. In our research, we have begun to explore the design space of using neurofeedback-augmented virtual reality to create technologically-mediated supports for introspection. Findings from interviews with lucid dreaming experts enabled us to understand the phenomenological experience of introspection that occurs during dreaming. For these lucid dreamers, it was a space and lens to explore one’s thoughts and feelings and uncover secret knowledge, a connection to self, and a way of communicating with the self. We used these findings to guide the design and development of a neurofeedback-augmented virtual reality experience. This experience consisted of an AI-enhanced 360 visual and spatialized audio that both creatively and dynamically changed with a user’s brain waves. Taking from the practice of introspection in the context of lucid dreaming, we asked users to play with their attention and notice how the virtual environment changed. We used a mixed methods convergent parallel approach. We used the Dream and Lucid Dream Frequency Questionnaire to screen for participants (N=9) and the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale to determine participants’ general tendency towards focused attention. Using a cued-recall debrief method, we conducted semi-structured interviews while participants viewed a first-person recording of their session with our system. We used thematic analysis to generate three themes highlighting participants’ experiences of our system: relating to real-life experiences, discovering the boundaries of the system, and being there with virtual objects and people.

We extend an existing publication with the system Lucid Loop by reporting on the results relating to the introspective qualities experienced by participants. First, the narrative elements of the virtual experience (e.g., the moving, costumed characters and the setting of the path in the woods) were not part of a plot or narrative arch nor were they interactive. Participants could not speak with the characters or navigate the environment, but these elements still allowed for a level of cognitive interactivity with the system in which participants can have an emotional or psychological response even without being able to change those aspects of the experience. The level of artistic abstraction that was created by our AI-enhanced system, rather than unprocessed 360 video footage, also enabled participants to project familiar people or places onto the experience for their own meaning making. Second, participants wanted more control and interactions with the environment, similar to what they would expect in an actual lucid dream. Neurofeedback is one form of control in this experience, although it is not about control per se. Participants can use their focus to ‘’control’’ the visuals and audio in the immersive environment, yet this is not how we designed the mapping. Participants noticed this tendency toward wanting to control the system and then realized that it was better to simply let go and ‘’just observe those thoughts’’. Finally, the immersive quality of the virtual headset itself was a critical component in creating a heightened awareness of self. This perhaps allowed for deeper introspection because the headset blocks out the external environment and amplifies the virtual experience. Taken together, our research contributes a technologically-mediated support for introspection and highlights potential future directions in the emerging field of augmented introspection.

ABSTRACT. Doyle and Ford (1998) have noticed that although the concept of mental models (MMs) frequently appears in literature, there are surprisingly few explicit definitions of them. However, MMs are relatively often defined as mental constructs describing the knowledge a person has about a particular domain of the world. On the one hand, they represent the operation of cognitive processes, but they are also their results (Hemforth & Konieczny, 2006). They are subjective (Pauen, 2006), do not require direct experience (van Ments & Treur, 2021), and create a map of a object’s relationship with the environment (St.Amant, 2021). The research problem concerned the nature of changes in the MMs of academic teachers in the area of online education during the COVID-19 pandemic announced by the World Health Organization in March 2020. The global lockdown limited the economic functioning and influenced the education process, also in Poland. At that time, teachers’ digital competences proved to be an important element enabling them to work remotely. The pandemic had a modifying effect on the use of information and communication technologies – during lessons, teachers used smartphones more often and also visited websites and used applications (for example on a computer) unrelated to lessons (Ptaszek et al., 2020). Empirical research was conducted three times in: March 2020 (wave I of the pandemic – MMs largely based on imaginations), October 2020 (wave II - MMs modified with direct experience) and April 2021 (wave III – as in wave II). The research was carried out with a specially constructed eight-dimensional tool using the Osgood semantic differential (Heise, 1969) and ten five-point Likert scale questions. The research involved teaching staff of Poznań (Poland) universities. The first group (March 2020) had a total of 98 people, the second group (October 2020) consisted of 245 respondents, while the third (April 2021) included 263 teachers. In order to identify MMs, a two-step cluster analysis was performed using the method of checking the distance between logarithms. The scale was based on eight dimensions. The Silhouette method measuring cohesion and separation indicated the correct clustering (the average Silhouette value = 0.3) and it was established that there were three types of models: enthusiastic, neutral and reluctant.

To determine the nature of the differences between the MMs, an analysis was carried out using the Kruskal-Wallis test. The Bonferroni-Dunn test was used for a post hoc analysis. During the pandemic, increasingly more teachers had reluctant MMs and the number of enthusiasts decreased.

Table 1 Analysis of the frequency of particular MMs in three studies

March 2020 October 2020 April 2021 n % n % n % Reluctant Mental model 18a 18,4 79b 32,2 97b 36,9 Neutral Mental Model 46a 46,9 122a 49,8 110a 41,8 Enthusiastic Mental Model 34a 34,7 44b 18,0 56b 21,3

In order to compare the distinguished MMs in terms of the professional functioning of academic teachers, an analysis was carried out using the Kruskal-Wallis test. The differences between the MMs proved to be statistically significant in the sphere of individual functioning and related to the assessment of student behaviour, which was confirmed by the Bonferroni-Dunn post-hoc test. However, the supportive activities of the organisation otherwise perceived by teachers are not related to the type of MMs developed by teachers. Thus, a key task for educational institutions should be to modify factors that adversely affect the perception of organisational support.

The project financed within the Regional Initiative for Excellence programme of the Minister of Education and Science of Poland, years 2019-202

ABSTRACT. Management of dental anxiety is a major challenge for a significant portion of the population, resulting in decreased adherence to routine check-ups and necessary treatments, leading to reduced quality of life. Conventional treatments, such as hypnosis and exposure therapy, necessitate operator training and multiple, extended patient exposures. Virtual reality (VR) has been demonstrated to be an effective tool for distraction, albeit primarily through passive and non-interactive stimuli. The present study aimed to assess the feasibility and efficacy of a VR distraction technique, consisting of a single exposure, in reducing anxiety levels and physiological factors of dental patients in a public hospital setting. Both subjective and objective measures were employed to evaluate the impact of the VR system. A total of 37 patients were enrolled in a clinical trial and assigned to either the experimental group (n=26) or the control group (n=11). The experimental group received a single session of VR distraction during a dental procedure, using a custom-designed virtual environment to induce relaxation and promote deep breathing. The control group received routine dental care without VR distraction. Before treatment, all patients completed a questionnaire we developed in order to provide sociodemographic information and assess their dental history. Since trait anxiety and severe depressive symptoms can impact significantly on perceived distress, baseline levels were assessed through the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI form Y1 and Y2) and the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). To investigate dental anxiety, the Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS) was administered. Subjective anxiety levels were measured using the Subjective Units of Distress Scale (SUDS) during the procedure, and heart rate was recorded at the same intervals using a fingertip pulse monitor. After the procedure, patients completed the STAI-Y1 to assess changes in anxiety levels. The results of the tests pre-treatment showed that the sample did not have excessive trait-anxiety (STAI Y2<40) or depressive state (BDI-II<16), but did show physiological anxiety for the dental setting and related procedures. The Wilcoxon non-parametric test was used to compare pre- and post-treatment values, due to the small sample size and heterogeneity of subjects in both groups. The experimental group showed a significant reduction in levels of state anxiety, subjective anxiety, and heart rate. The control group did not show a meaningful reduction in scores, although an improvement was recorded in the anxiety level. Our questionnaire was able to capture some nuances of the patients' relationship with dental procedures, correlating with the already validated DAS. Spearman’s rank test showed a correlation between high levels of dental anxiety and trait anxiety, state anxiety, and depression. Additionally, low level of instruction, previous dental care, and frequency of dental treatments correlated with a higher level of state anxiety and stress related to dental procedures. Our study provides evidence supporting the usefulness of Virtual Reality Environments as a tool to reduce anxiety and stress related to dental care. By using this method, patients were able to cope better with dental procedures and the figure of the dentist, which result in better dental health and reduced pathologic conditions associated with poor dental care. The non-invasive nature of this technique makes it highly suitable for patients with dental anxiety. However, our study had some limitations, such as the relatively small sample size and the lack of long-term follow-up. Further research is needed to examine the efficacy of Virtual Reality Environments in more diverse populations and to evaluate the long-term effects of this treatment on patients' dental health. Overall, our study contributes to the growing body of literature on the use of Virtual Reality Environments as a promising and innovative approach for the management of anxiety and stress related to dental care.

ABSTRACT. One of the most critical challenges of the moment is to develop and disseminate effective preventive measures and cognitive interventions for healthy aging with complete autonomy. Some trainings have been conceived for seniors as 2D mini games (e.g., go/no-go, puzzles, working memory tasks), even though the evaluation of pre/post-cognitive abilities is scarcely performed with standardized neuropsychological tests. This study aimed to validate a new serious game on a tablet using an ecological VR-based setting to improve cognitive abilities close to everyday life in the elderly. Thirty-four healthy elderly participants aged 60 to 84 years old (M= 70 years old), still professionally active or retired and autonomous, were recruited to test the validity of the tablet-based virtual reality REVALZ game. The participants all signed a free informed consent form. The participants were randomly separated into two groups (experimental and active control) to be equivalent in terms of gender, age, and socio-cultural level. During recruitment, we excluded people with neurological and psychiatric histories and disorders. The experimental group benefited from cognitive stimulation with the serious game Revalz on a touchscreen tablet. The control group was also active since the participants followed an immersive viewing program presenting the history of villages in France on a touchscreen tablet to eliminate the potential cognitive improvements linked to the practice of a tablet. The two programs were proposed for four weeks, and participants had to achieve several sessions per week. Moreover, they were tested before and after each program lasting four weeks using a standard neuropsychological tests battery (memory, attention, visuospatial and executive functions) and a VR test realized in a virtual city presented on a laptop and navigating via a joystick to assess both the retrospective and prospective memory. The Revalz cognitive stimulation program was created by the Memory, Brain and Cognition laboratory of the University of Paris Cité to stimulate both retrospective and prospective components of memory, time processing and visuospatial functions. The game represents a 3D urban environment in which the participant must move using the touch screen with a first-person view and perform many activities and missions with increasing difficulty. During the navigation, the participant has access to a clock and a map, allowing him to locate himself and the various places of interest in the city. The city comprises diverse well-known Parisian monuments (e.g., Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe), specific areas (e.g., bakery, grocery store, cinema), public transport and non-player animated characters. Tutorials are included to help the participants to learn in-depth memory encodings strategies like mental imagery and self-reference methods to memorize information needed to complete tasks and accomplish new tasks such as acting planned intentions (e.g., meet a friend at the Fnac and wish him a happy birthday) or taking public transport. Moreover, a virtual agent frequently verbally refers to these strategies and encourages the participant to use them; feedback includes a points system and the possibility to choose gifts (e.g., a companion animal). The participant must complete 24 levels of increasing complexity at a rate of 6 per week. The group-by-time ANOVAs showed no significant difference between the two groups of participants before the tablet program and a significant increase in performances in the experimental group after the REVALZ program compared to the active control group after viewing the program presenting the history of villages in France. Both groups increased their speed processing after the programs. In conclusion, REVALZ seems to be a valuable new tablet-based virtual reality game to train cognitive skills used in everyday life for seniors. The next step will be to propose REVALZ in patients with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease.

ABSTRACT. Generative art has nowadays a popular success due to technologies that to generate an image from a text input, like OpenAI's Dall-E[5]. This prompt is intended to be written in a language close to the user's natural language (these systems can thus be considered as declarative modellers according to the definition of Gaildrat[3]).

In a system whose output is a 3D scene, we can summarise the general process as follows : once the text input is analysed semantically to determine important terms (nouns, action or description verbs, adjectives, etc.) and the relationship between them, the constraints to resolve (such as the relative positioning of objects) are sent to the graphics engine, which searches for assets to integrate into the scene. The graphics engine will then make final adjustments, such as the lighting of the scene and the placement of the observer's point of view (camera), before providing a visual rendering of the scene[2].

On this subject, Russo addresses the question of textual creativity to increase output images creativity[6]. She proposes a multidisciplinary benchmark (philosophy, psychology, ...) and raises the lack of evaluation on creativity criteria of text-to-image systems. Oppenlaender also highlighted, based on the conceptual model of Rhodes' four "P"s (Person, Product, Process, Press), that text-to-image systems don't illustrate yet all the human creativity that their use implies[4].

Indeed, this result-centred dispositive includes non-processed elements : neither the user-author style (for example the text layout) nor the creation context (assimilated as what the user lived while typing) are considered. Our proposal provides an illustrative method in an artistic approach, non-exhaustive, for some of these limitations. We integrate data gathered from new elements of the text typing : firstly from typing time (date/hour, typing speed, break duration, number of backspace pushes...) and about the user (heart rate, detection of facial emotions from camera captation...). Secondly, we gather elements from text layout, such as the number of lines, sentences length (like Tardif in Narra[7]), etc. We also apply steganography-type filters (like Equidistant Letter Sequences used by McKay[1]) to reveal "hidden" words.

These data enables to generatively alter the rendered image or scene, slightly enough to maintain the coherence between the explicit textual description and the visual result. Thus, we can insert discrete elements in the background or in filigrams, change the lighting, use glitches...

As the data from the user's experience are unique and non-reproducible, then these image alterations form a kind of signature that makes each generation unique, even if the same text was submitted to the text-to-scene generator. The artistic and technical discussions about the implementation of this device that we call "typing-to-scene" and the feedback from users would lead to interesting discussions, the interconnection of different and complementary fields.

Bibliography : [1] Bar-Natan, D. and McKay, B. 1999. Equidistant Letter Sequences in Tolstoy’s “War and Peace.” [2] Coyne, R.E. 2017. Painting Pictures with Words - From Theory to System. [3] Gaildrat, V. 2007. Declarative Modelling of Virtual Environments, Overview of issues and Applications. Proceedings of the International Conference on …. (Jan. 2007). [4] Oppenlaender, J. 2022. The Creativity of Text-to-Image Generation. Proceedings of the 25th International Academic Mindtrek Conference (New York, NY, USA, Nov. 2022), 192–202. [5] Ramesh, A. et al. 2021. Zero-Shot Text-to-Image Generation. arXiv. [6] Russo, I. 2022. Creative Text-to-Image Generation: Suggestions for a Benchmark. Proceedings of the 2nd International Workshop on Natural Language Processing for Digital Humanities (Taipei, Taiwan, Nov. 2022), 145–154. [7] Tardif, P.C. 2020. Narra : un art visuel cognitif, au rythme de la longueur des paragraphes des textes littéraires. Paris 8.

ABSTRACT. The logic behind the neuropsychological rehabilitation of the impulsive criminal is to treat the behavioral manifestations of these individuals as the product of a real pre-frontal syndrome, capable of causing deficits in the planning of behavior, in self-regulation, in the inhibition of impulsiveness and more generally in social and interpersonal skills. With the term prefrontal workout, literally “prefrontal workout” Eagleman (2011) refers to a real form of rehabilitation intended for subjects characterized by strong impulsive tendencies. Neurofeedback is used in prefrontal training. This technique mainly uses electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) as indicators of brain function. The premise of prefrontal training is that through rehabilitation, and therefore repeated practice, the frontal areas of our brain can be trained in order to improve the "control" of subcortical circuits and limbic areas responsible for impulsive and potentially destructive behavioral forces. Neurofeedback would be able to produce structural changes both in the gray matter (layer that includes the body of neurons) and in the white matter (connective tissue that includes the axons of neurons gathered in bundles) of the brain, strengthening not only the existing connections but also creating new ones, and thus triggering mechanisms that are completely analogous to what occurs in learning processes. Although this rehabilitation proposal does not specifically concern deviant individuals, it is intended for subjects with impulsive tendencies and difficulty in repressing a stimulus-seeking behavior, skills that fall within the category of frontal functions. It is possible that similar strategies can also be used effectively against deviant individuals, working to improve their ability to inhibit a behavioral tendency and reinforcing everything with real-time feedback. There is a very high incidence of attention deficit, hyperactivity disorder and related symptoms among people convicted of crimes, and a great many criminal acts involve impulsive behavior or loss of emotional control such as anger. Better control of behavior and emotions are among the most commonly reported outcomes of neurotherapeutic treatment. Research and clinical experience also demonstrate the positive effects of neurofeedback with alcohol and drug abuse and depression, both common accompaniments of criminal behavior ( Fielenbach S. 2019; Margarita R. 2016; Konicar L. 2015).

ABSTRACT. Context: Studies examining the psychological predictors of presence in virtual reality (VR) have highlighted the importance of anxiety experienced during immersions. Many of these studies have been conducted with clinically anxious participants exposed to anxiety provoking stimuli during immersions in VR. In non-clinical samples, the role of general stress has not been thoroughly studied or compared to social anxiety. While social anxiety refers to the anticipation of a threat from social interactions, general stress refers to the anticipation of a challenge in general. The two concepts differ in intensity and in specificity. Studies have also focused on presence (the subjective feeling of being ‘there’), and much less on social presence, which is more specific and relevant to social interactions. Furthermore, perceived self-efficacy may influence social presence as it is a known buffer of stress and anxiety. Finally, there is no data on the relevance of these potential predictors in simulated job interviews in VR.

Objective and method: This study explored if social anxiety, general stress, and perceived self-efficacy to perform well in a job interview predict social presence in a community sample immersed in a virtual interview. In this study, a job interview was conducted in VR with adults seeking training to improve their interview skills. The sample consisted of 40 subjects over 18 years old (M = 30.3, S.D.=11.18; 57.5% female, 40% male, 2.5% non-binary) participating in a larger study on job interview training. Participants were randomly assigned to two conditions. Both conditions involved being immersed in a job interview led by two interviewers (one male, one female) in VR. The second condition added standardised feedback to the immersion to increase participants’ self efficacy about their performance. Self-reported measures of social anxiety (Social Interaction Phobia Scale, SIPS), general stress (Psychological Stress Measure, PSM), and perceived self-efficacy (Perceived Self-Efficacy to Perform Well in Job Interviews, PSE-PWJI) were administered pre/post immersion, with the addition of a social presence measure post-immersion (Social Presence from Gerhard et al, 2001).

Results. A multiple regression analysis was conducted to predict social presence with the following variables as predictors: the experimental condition (to control for differences in what was experienced in VR), pre/post residualized change score in SIPS, pre/post residualized change score in PSM, and pre/post residualized change score in PSE-PWJI. The multiple regression was significant (F(4,39) = 2.85, p < .05, R2 = .25, Adj R2 = .16). Among the predictors in the model, the role of the experimental condition was statistically significant (t = -2.12, p < .05), as well as the role of the general stress measure (residualized change score in PSM, t = 2.41, p < .05, part sr = .35). The role of social anxiety was not statistically significant, although this was marginal (residualized change score in SIAS, t = 1.81, p = .07, part sr = .27). The role of self efficacy was not statistically significant and associated with a small effect size (residualized change score in PSE-PWJI, t = .64, p = .51, part sr = .09).

Conclusions. Analyses showed that a general measure of stress was the best predictor of social presence. With more statistical power, social anxiety could have reached statistical significance. This supports initial impressions that while anxiety may be relevant to predict presence within clinical samples, general stress may be more suitable to predict presence within community samples, at least for social presence within a virtual job interview.

ABSTRACT. Episodic autobiographical memory is a long-term memory system that allows the encoding, storing and retrieval of personally experienced events with their internal and external context and grounds our sense of self. However, most laboratory studies of episodic memory generally lack ecological validity when creating new memories, and validity control when assessing newly formed real-life memories. Furthermore, not much is yet known about the simultaneous roles of the different factors of influence during encoding, and how these factors can influence what becomes of memories. Thus, can we predict episodic autobiographical memory?

In the present study, 60 participants, aged 18 to 40, were invited to experience an immersive walk in a virtual city where they either witnessed, or interacted with, 30 events with various emotional valences (positive, neutral, or negative). Physiological measures, including the electrodermal activity, respiration rate and heart rate, were recorded during the incidental encoding in the virtual city in order to access implicit responses to the experienced events. The participants took a surprise memory test after a one-month delay. For a sub-group of 30 participants, two memory tests were added, one immediately after encoding and one a week after encoding, to assess the role of memory re-activation during the retention delay. All participants had also to characterize explicitly each event memory using different subjective scales (emotion, self-relevance, memorability, etc.).

The main results at the one-month delay reveal the effects of the different factors (valence, self, group) and their interactions on the number of memories and their richness. Depending on the number of memory rehearsals during the retention delay and using the implicit (physiological responses) and explicit (self-assessments) measures, predictive models of long-lasting episodic autobiographical memory were built. These first results highlight the role of the self, the emotions, and some mental processes, such as metacognition, in predicting the outcome of events in long-term memory. Despite weak effects of both the heart and respiration rate, the electrodermal activity appears to get a stronger and faster reaction for negative events, and for events with an interaction, showing the link between implicit measures and the characteristics of the events.

Further exploration of the evolution of the consolidation status using EEG should shed lighter on the different processes at play. To conclude, this study explores an innovative approach examining the formation of episodic autobiographical memory in a naturalistic and controlled setting using virtual reality, which lays the groundwork for new rehabilitation methods for memory.

ABSTRACT. According to the "constructive episodic simulation" hypothesis, mental constructs concerning the past (EAM, Episodic Autobiographical Memory) and the future (EFT, Episodic Future Thinking) would rely on similarly constructed elements and a shared brain network. An essential function of memory would be to make information available in a flexible way for the mental simulation and imagination of forthcoming events. Within this theoretical framework, which admits the constructive nature of memory, the forgetting of certain non-targeted information is induced retrieving of more relevant related information. One study showed (Storm & Jobe, 2012) that this retrieval-induced forgetting effect (RIF) was observed when memories of new events competed with EAMs. However, RIF was not observed when they were put in competition with EFTs. Nevertheless, another study has re-evaluated and challenged this work (Ditta and Storm 2016), showing that RIF can be induced by EFTs. The authors question these divergent outcomes and attribute them to methodological differences between the two studies. According to recent literature (Addis et al., 2018), both memory and imagination would be manifestations of the same constructive simulation process. Thus, if this hypothesis is consistent, RIF should be observed during the construction of both EAMs and EFTs. In line with this position, we further investigated the FRI effect using a more ecological experiment in virtual reality. We have developed an immersive virtual reality tool to compare EFT and EAM, by initiating mental projections into the past or the future. To ensure the strong episodicity of EAMs and EFTs, we primed the participants for their episodic simulations with a virtual immersion in a past or future temporality. We manipulated these environments in terms of temporal distance. In both conditions, advertising billboards presented various events that have occurred (in the past) or could potentially occur (in the future). Apart from this, the environments had the same structure. The buildings were almost similar, and the difference in temporality was rather in the details. For the past condition, the chosen period was 2020. For the future condition, the chosen period was 2024. After this priming, the participants discovered objects in a virtual museum. These objects were attached, in each room, to categories (themes like gardening, entertainment, furniture, etc.). The participants had to produce past or future episodic simulations on these very themes. We studied whether past and future episodic simulations lead to forgetting some of the objects linked by the theme. Our results reported a significant retrieval-induced forgetting effect in both “past” and “future” conditions. As expected, we did not observe a difference between past and future conditions, nor an interaction effect between temporality and the forgetting effect. These results support our hypothesis and have also shown that virtual reality is a relevant method to study RIF and induce mental time travel both into the past and the future.

ABSTRACT. Background: The investigation and classification of anxiety using biosignals is being more frequently used by several authors (Ancillon, Elgendi & Menon, 2022). The usual option to assess anxiety are ECG, EDA, RESP and EEG (Petrescu et al., 2020). Recent studies are focusing in using Machine Learning models to predict with good accuracy the signs of anxiety, in order to facilitate the tracking (Ancillon, Elgendi & Menon, 2022) and also to try to reduce the dependency on self-assessment measures to compare with the biosignals results (Khatri et al, 2022). This study aims to build a high accuracy machine learning model capable of recognizing signs of anxiety based on the combination of biosignals in a Virtual Reality Environment.

Method: The present study intends to collect data from between 60 to 80 adult participants, preferably with a similar number of men and women. Participants who are currently in psychiatric treatment will be excluded. Non-invasive PLUX biosensors will be used to measure the physiological signals like ECG, EDA, RESP, and EEG.

Procedure: In this experiment, two VR/digital scenarios—one relaxing to acquire the baseline and one stressful—will be presented to the participants. The relaxing environment consists of scenes generally considered relaxing, such as nature scenes and sounds, available on Unity Asset Store. The environment that will induce biological activation for anxiety is a task that consists in a matching game to accomplish in a shorter amount of time than necessary to do, designed by Gamito et al. (2023). The self-reported instrument Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) will be provided to the participants to complete in order to assess their baseline anxiety level (pre). The participants will be then fitted with biosensors to measure their ECG, EDA, RESP, and EEG signals, as well as a VR headset to do the experiment tasks. A unique data model will be used to record and process the biosensor data. After the experiment, the participants will be asked to fill the BAI questionnaire again (post). The duration of the experiment is intended to be around 20 minutes. The difference between pre and post experiment questionnaires will be used as a measure of anxiety induced by the scenarios, which are then compared to the data model aimed to predict and classify the anxiety levels.

Data analysis: Cross-validation and several performance measures, including accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score, will be used to assess the model. A supervised machine learning algorithm is used for the analysis of the data from biosensors. Preprocessing is done to filter out the data and do feature selection by removing uninformative data. Machine learning algorithms such as Random Forest Tree (RFT), Support Vector Machine (SVM) for classifying data. The model is then trained with the collected data. And finally, the model is tested with the new data from the participant. In order to evaluate the validity and reliability of the biosignal-based anxiety assessment, the model will also be compared with the participants' subjective assessments. It is expected that the biosignal based anxiety assessment will produce accurate results that can be used to reduce the need for the questionnaires.

ABSTRACT. Introduction VR allows users to interact in real time with computer-generated environments and is increasingly being used by mental healthcare professionals for psychotherapy in the context of virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET). This type of treatment enables patients to be exposed to anxiogenic situation for obtaining fear extinction in the framework of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) (Rothbaum et al. 2001). During the CBT exposure component, reality is replaced by artificially created stimuli inside a computerized world [1]. Past clinical studies demonstrated the effectiveness of VRET in treating participants suffering from many common anxiety disorders (phobias etc.) or obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD) (Meyerbröker et al., 2021). However, in practice, therapists or researchers may face rare demands such as patients exhibiting unusual phobias or OCD that required specific therapeutic VEs. Indeed, while various anxiety disorders and phobias (aviophobia, agoraphobia, etc.) have been treated successfully with VRET, other rarer ones have yet to be tested with this method. Another aspect of this problem is that the virtual environments required are usually not available on the market or not build by private companies as the inherent rarity is not of financial or commercial interest. It is in this context that empowering therapists with the tools of a “maker” able to create themselves therapeutic VEs for rare cases may be a potential solution. Consequently and for facilitating VE creation, Riva et al. proposed NeuroVR, a virtual reality platform that provides clinical professionals with a cost-free VE editor in 2007. Nowadays, therapists with minimal training can utilize powerful and free 3D game engines with user-friendly editors, making Riva et al.'s first initiative a possible response for treating rare cases in VR. To assess these hypotheses, a trial involving 8 rare single cases was designed with three objectives. Firstly, to demonstrate that a therapist with no coding skills can construct multiple specific therapeutic VEs. Secondly, to measure the potential therapeutic efficacy of VRET and the VEs for rare cases of phobias and OCD. Lastly, this trial aims to ensure these VEs yielded presence with limited cybersickness. Methodology All virtual environments were constructed by the first author, a psychiatrist with no skills in programming and self-educated in the use of free 3D game engines specifically to address these disorders. 8 Participants were single cases suffering respectively from brontophobia (fear of thunder), asbestophobia (fear of asbestos), coulrophobia (fear of clowns), frigophobia (fear of cold), globophobia (fear of balloons), submechanophobia (fear of submerged human-made objects), harm OCD (fear of harming others), and OCD related to error responsibility. Each participant underwent a VRET standard protocol of 11 weekly sessions comprising psychoeducation, anxiety management, cognitive restructuring, positive self-statements, mental imagery, and exposure to specific VEs as recommended for VRET (Vincelli, 2001). Pre- and post-treatment measures comprised self-rated fear, anxiety, mood and quality of life questionnaires. After each VR exposure session, participants reported presence level and cybersickness. Results With the exception of frigophobia, pre-post scores of the psychometric instruments showed discernible reduction of all the distinct phobias and obsessions/compulsions. Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test indicated a significant improvement in anxiety, mood, and the mental factor of quality of life. Regarding immersion, presence rates were satisfactory and cybersickness was low. Conclusion This research provides some evidence of the potential therapeutic effect of VRET for rare cases of phobias and OCD, as well as a presence eliciting effect of therapist-constructed VEs with free 3D game engines. Future research should explore the use of VR for other rare disorders, as well as the motivation and minimum training required by a therapist to be able create VEs for addressing them and thus becoming a maker in this creative century.

ABSTRACT. All human experiences revolve around emotions. However, because emotions are characterized by quick changes and individual heterogeneity, eliciting, and measuring them has proven to be one of the most challenging tasks. Traditional techniques for evoking emotional responses until recently mainly relied on the presentation of visual or auditory stimuli. However, the spread of novel technologies has opened a debate about which medium is more effective. Virtual reality has been suggested for the study of psychology's foundational principles and other fields since it can be defined as an "Experiential technology". Thanks to its ability to evoke a sense of presence, sharing virtual content can result in a more reliable replication and emotional reaction. In fact, recent research demonstrated its capability in eliciting complex emotions, such as awe, in an ecological and controlled setting. Among virtual reality technologies, 360-degree videos allow one to interact with the content and experience a variety of emotions through head movements. The ability to move one's head and have the scene react realistically is one of the most striking characteristics that distinguish VR and 360-degree videos from other immersive technologies. Since VR offers a more realistic and immersive audio-visual experience, the primary objective of this study was to examine how it might be used as an affective medium. The aim is to assess the effectiveness of 360-degree images in eliciting basic emotions. To create standardized images that can evoke these emotions, we also want to determine whether each image is linked to emotional activations that can be classified as basic emotions. The goal is to create a database of immersive 360-degree images and make it accessible to everyone so that it can be used as a resource for research. 50 participants will watch a set of 360-degree images for 15 seconds on a computer exploring the environment by dragging the viewpoint with a mouse or a finger. After each image, they will be required to self-report, directly on the screen, their level of valence, arousal, dominance, and sense of presence and rate the intensity of some emotions on a Likert scale. 46 images have been selected from online websites and databases of 360° contents and a priori divided into positive, negative, and neutral categories through consensus between five people. Each subject will watch a different set of 23 images equally distributed between positive, negative, and neutral images. Additionally, we conducted an ad hoc selection of high-quality images, choosing naturalistic (eg., views of mountains, lakes, seas, parks) and urbanistic (eg., squares, streets, buildings) scenarios without semantic and verbal cues, allowing thus a worldwide use. This contrasts with existing databases that have used videos on public portals like YouTube - that could not be available forever - or that have used spots of films or existing videos. Preliminary results will be presented during the conference. Data about the emotional experience will be presented for each image and the relation between valence/arousal and sense of presence will be analyzed. A standardized 360-degree database of images that can elicit particular emotions would be very helpful for research on basic emotions, emotion recognition and regulation, and human-computer interaction but also for the study of emotional and cognitive processes under realistic conditions. Due to the growing popularity of virtual reality, this is crucial for research and understanding how users interact with different sources of VR content.

ABSTRACT. Neuropsychological testing aims to evaluate cognitive abilities on a behavioral task. Most neuropsychological tests are conducted using paper-and-pencil modality or computerized protocols. Recent concerns about the effectiveness of these procedures have focused on their ecological validity, i.e., the relationship between test results seen in a laboratory setting and actual daily cognitive functioning. Researchers have thus been working to create even-more-innovative techniques. The emergence of virtual reality presents new clinical and experimental opportunities in psychology since it is focused on exposing people to simulated but realistic stimuli and environments while simultaneously maintaining a controlled laboratory environment and gathering cutting-edge measures of cognitive functioning. An additional opportunity for neuropsychological assessment can be provided by a recent VR technology: 360° immersive images and videos. Using 360° cameras, it is possible to capture a circular fisheye view of the surroundings, which can then be viewed with a head-mounted display or simply by dragging the viewpoint with a mouse or a finger. Although recent studies have provided encouraging results for memory and executive function testing, their use in neuropsychological assessment is not yet so widespread. One issue might be the challenge of creating tools or modifying 360-degree videos in accordance with clinical requirements. This study aims to present cutting-edge software to develop ecologically valid and controlled environments, with standardized multimodal stimulation, precisely calibrated feedback about the performance, and automatic registration of outcomes. This software gives everyone the chance to use completely customizable virtual environments for whatever purpose they choose. The effectiveness of the created scenarios can be increased by using photographs of things and people the patient interacts with daily. Patients can thus experience photorealistic environments in a first-person perspective with immersive 360° scenarios: this quality can increase the procedure's accuracy and is crucial for the evaluation of a variety of memory-related factors. Additionally, the photorealistic style that distinguishes 360° technologies can increase their ecological value: in fact, the level of immersion and realism has an impact on memory coding procedures. Although 360° videos, compared to VR, seem to be non-interactive, by placing a link or hotspot on a door, it is possible to change the environment and give the impression that one is moving between rooms, even though they are not designed to allow for proper interaction. In this way, 360-degree videos can give viewers a stronger sense of presence by giving them the impression that navigating and touching objects is possible. Furthermore, since these technologies don't require any manual control, a larger target audience, including those with motor impairments, can be reached. Even more, it is possible to explore the surroundings or select items by focusing on the hotspots with the look. Two memory tests will be presented: an object recognition task and a spatial memory task. The first aims to evaluate visual memory by simulating an actual situation that might occur in daily life. Users must encode and then recall some target objects that have been moved while they are immersed in a virtual living room. In the second, patients have to navigate in apartment rooms and have to recognize the map of the house between four maps. Implementing 360° immersive photos and videos does not require the knowledge and understanding of advanced technical skills, and the equipment needed to record and visualize 360° materials is also more affordable than a standard VR setup. By evaluating behaviors in particular tasks in real-world situations, this type of software could make it possible to develop ecological testing or enhance existing ones with a higher rate of ecological validity.

ABSTRACT. Background Virtual reality (VR) technology has been successfully used to study the influence of virtual food-related cues on behavioral responses. Emotional eating has been used to refer to a tendency to eat palatable food in response to negative emotions and it could contribute to obesity. One of the advantages of VR is the possibility to control the intensity of stressors used to induce negative emotions when conducting research. Our study aimed to validate a VR laboratory stressor as a tool to study stress induced-eating. Given the importance of publishing research protocols before the study begins, the objective of the current poster presentation is to present the study protocol before the study begins.

Methods This experimental randomized study will be carried out in volunteer adults exposed to one of the following stressor conditions, a VR stressor (ability game) (N=25) or a digital stressor (the Trier Social Stress Test (digital-TSST) (N=25). At baseline, the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI) will be applied to assess the eating problems. The VR stressor consists of playing a game of skills on an arcade video game while a group of virtual characters is looking at the player and making comments on his or her performance. A digital Trier Social Stress test (d-TSST) was designed to induce controlled stress by performing three digital tests using a tablet. The first digital test consisted of a motor skill task, the second one involved performing arithmetic subtraction calculations, and the third one was an intelligence test requiring drawing a geometric figure. The digital tests were performed in front of a camera and two judges dressed in white coats. The stress induction will be assessed by saliva cortisol and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). After the exposure to laboratory stressors, participants will immediately assess for anxiety and craving by filling in a questionnaire consisting of the following 4 questions: How much do you want to eat right now? Are you craving sweet foods right now? How much?, How stressed are you feeling right now? How anxious are you feeling right now? Next, the participants will be exposed to a virtual supermarket for shopping the foods they declare craving and the types of food and amount will be recorded. A virtual reality exposure to food cues will last 15 min (maximum). The anxiety and craving will be assessed again at the end of the virtual reality food exposure. Electrocardiograms, respiratory movements, electrodermal activity, and plethysmography will be monitored during the experiment.

Conclusions Based on the research results, we will compare VR and digital laboratory stressors to test the psychological and physiological reactions and the food choice as a response to stress exposure. The differences between experimental methods in stress-induced eating will be evaluated.

Funding: Research relating to this abstract was funded by the RO-MD Cross-Border Program, Priority 4.1 - "Support to the development of health services and access to health", project code: 1HARD/4.1/93.

ABSTRACT. Educational technology is an emerging field in pedagogy. Existing literature has studied the risk factors of dropout behavior and persistence in e-learning environments (Dalipi et al., 2018). However, not many studies have investigated these factors among adolescent populations receiving tech-focused vocational education. There is also a dearth of literature exploring these trends in French populations. This study will map out the profiles of French adolescents aged 12-18 (N = 32) that dropped out of formal school and joined a tech-based vocational educational program. Previous studies have established that important factors leading to dropout behavior in adolescents include depressive symptoms (Askeland et al., 2022), and health problems (physical, social, psychological, and physical environment) (Chau et al., 2016). Other studies have established that factors that contribute to persistence in e-learning include student satisfaction, motivation, and engagement (cognitive, behavioral, and emotional) (Jung, Y., and Lee, L. 2018; Lakhal et al., 2021). As the sample under study voluntarily joined the educational program, it can indicate different academic orientations, hence we will also study academic interests. Our research questions are: i. What are the profiles of students who persist in tech-focused vocational educational programs? ii. If any students drop out of the program, how are their profiles different from those who persist?

We will make use of administrative data and questionnaires including the Quality of Life questionnaire (WHOQOL-Bref) which has been validated cross-culturally, the Academic Motivation Scale (French version), Academic Interest Scale for Adolescents as well as qualitative data using open-ended questionnaires to explore untapped factors. Items on the Academic Interest Scale for Adolescents will be adapted to technology-focused courses they are learning at the institution. We will examine factors in the new cohort: students that persist and drop out by the end of the program and contrast them with a sample that has persisted in the program for one year beginning a year before to detect similarities and differences using machine learning algorithms.

The findings of this study will help in developing dropout predictive modeling systems in such programs for adolescents. Future studies can investigate more variables to establish more comprehensive profiles with larger sample sizes and use behavioral measures in combination with self-report measures.

Keywords: Dropout behavior, persistence behavior, e-learning, psychopedagogy, educational technology, machine learning

References:

Askeland, K.G., Bøe, T., Sivertsen, B. et al. Association of Depressive Symptoms in Late Adolescence and School Dropout. School Mental Health 14, 1044–1056 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-022-09522-5

Chau, K., Kabuth, B., Causin-Brice, O., Delacour, Y., Richoux-Picard, C., Verdin, M., ... & Chau, N. (2016). Associations between school difficulties and health-related problems and risky behaviours in early adolescence: A cross-sectional study in middle-school adolescents in France. Psychiatry research, 244, 1-9.

Dalipi, F., Imran, A. S., & Kastrati, Z. (2018, April 1). MOOC dropout prediction using machine learning techniques: Review and research challenges. IEEE Xplore. https://doi.org/10.1109/EDUCON.2018.8363340

Jung, Y., & Lee, J. (2018). Learning Engagement and Persistence in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCS). Computers & Education, 122, 9–22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2018.02.013

Lakhal, S., Khechine, H., & Mukamurera, J. (2021). Explaining persistence in online courses in higher education: a difference-in-differences analysis. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 18(1), 1-32.

ABSTRACT. Interpersonal Dependency (ID) and its components are crucial factors in understanding technology adoption and usage. This current research into the influence of dependent personality styles gauged psychological, behavioral, and attitudinal outcomes of personal technology use. Findings show that ID influences the fear of missing out, technology dependency, and distinct attitudinal differences.

Interpersonal Dependency (ID) is a complex personality style. ID is focused on increased investment and reliance on close, valued relationships and is comprised of functional (FD) and emotional (ED) dependency types, influencing both adaptive and maladaptive attachment strategies. Considering access to advanced technologies and continual social connectedness, ID is vital in understanding how individuals adopt, view, and experience tech use. This study utilized various surveys which gauged the behavioral, psychological, and attitudinal outcomes associated with personal tech use. Results indicated ID was positively correlated with FoMO, PMPU, tech dependency, and positive and negative attitudes toward tech. Participants with higher levels of both ED and FD reported increased FoMO, PMPU, and dependence. However, there were distinct differences in attitudes toward tech — increased levels of ED endorsed more positive views of tech, while similar levels of FD noted more negative attitudes toward tech. ID research affords the opportunity to explore more innate nuances of tech usage and attitudes, adding to the crucial discussion of problematic use, dependency, and addiction to technology.

ABSTRACT. Given the increased interest in how technology use impacts facets of the human experience, such as social connection, belonging, or the fear of missing out (FoMO), it is essential to consider how these variables exist within and outside the context of social networking site (SNS) use. State-specific variables may better highlight avenues for examining the strictly cyber impact on human behavior. The current study expands on a previous exploratory factor analysis of what Sette et al. (2020) deemed online social media-related FoMO or ON-FoMO (accepted for APA 2023). Additional analyses were performed to determine the reliability and validity of the measure by examining technology-use behaviors and psychological correlates.

The original validation study by Sette et al. (2020) suggested that ON-FoMO was comprised of four factors that incorporated characteristics central to the experience of FoMO within the specific context of SNS use, including the need to belong, need for popularity, anxiety, and addiction. A sample of 383 university students completed the following assessments: Fear of Missing Out Measures: the ON-FoMO Inventory and FoMO Scale, Technology-Use Behaviors: the Media and Technology Usage and Attitudes General Social Media Usage (GSMU), Smartphone Usage (SU), and Dependence on Technology (DOT) Subscales, Problematic Mobile Phone Use (PMPU) Questionnaire, and SNS daily time, and Psychological Variables: the Need to Belong Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and Satisfaction with Life Scale. The 20-item ON-FoMO Inventory statements include the following – I feel distant from people when I see them happy and I usually feel irritated by staying disconnected from social networks too long.

The current study’s factor analysis and parallel analysis results suggested a best-fit model of two or three latent factors. Additional analyses will be conducted to examine which combination of factors best represents the conceptual nature that theoretically defines online-based FoMO. The ON-FoMO Inventory showed high internal consistency. The ON-FoMO and the primarily implemented FoMO Scale (Przybylski et al., 2013) were strongly positively correlated, indicating a robust relationship between the measures, which touch on similar constructs. The convergent validity of the scale total was mostly consistent with the hypotheses; ON-FoMO was highly associated with variables historically related to FoMO in the research. Participant age and ON-FoMO were strongly negatively correlated. ON-FoMO was significantly positively related to technology-use behaviors, specifically higher GSMU, DOT, and PMPU. However, the amount of daily SNS time and SU were not statistically significant. For psychological variables, ON-FoMO was significantly negatively correlated with self-esteem and life satisfaction and positively correlated with belonging.

Social media dependency concerns are on the rise. Variables like ON-FoMO, which aim to gauge the underpinnings of SNS and smartphone use, may impart a deeper understanding of said use. This study found vital differences in how ON-FoMO impacted typical and problematic smartphone use. With conversations across clinical and general populations alike centered on SNS addiction, these findings indicate the need to better distinguish typical from problematic use and determine which criteria constitute addictive behavior. Similarly, the total score was not significantly correlated with how much time per day individuals spent using social media, suggesting that reliance on strictly time-based assessments may miss the nuances of personal use. While the current study did not replicate the four-factor structure noted in the original ON-FoMO study, the results demonstrated that the construct is multifaceted. By considering the complex role of On-FoMO, researchers can better understand why people exhibit problematic digital technology and media use, allowing the conversation to move from “Am I addicted to social media?” to “Why am I addicted to social media?”

ABSTRACT. Introduction: Anorexia nervosa (AN) is an eating disorder (ED) characterized by low weight, body image disturbances and extreme fear of gaining weight (FGW). Previous studies showed that FGW and body anxiety towards specific own body areas (i.e., weight-related body areas) were some of the strongest risk and maintenance factors of AN symptomatology. Moreover, self-disgust (i.e., intense negative feelings of revulsion and an overwhelming and irresistible urge to avoid potential disgust elicitors) can make individuals vulnerable to relapse. Body exposure therapies have been used to reduce the effects of these factors through a habituation process but might be limited due to a body-related attentional bias (AB) (e.g., selective attention towards weight-related body areas). This study aims to investigate the possible predictors of AB, to better understand the underlying mechanisms that contribute to the maintenance of AN symptomatology.

Method: 116 college students from the University of Barcelona participated in the study (99 females, 17 males, M(age) = 24.43 years, SD(age) = 5.30 years; M(BMI) = 22.52 kg/m2, SD(BMI) = 2.99 kg/m2). Body Dissatisfaction was assessed through the EDI-BD subscale of the EDI-3 inventory (Garner, 2004), Self-Disgust through the Self-Disgust Scale (Overton et al., 2008), FGW and anxiety through Visual Analog Scales. After a virtual body was created using a photographic procedure, participants were immersed in a virtual environment using an HTC® VIVE Pro Eye head-mounted-display (HMD). A five-minute visuo-motor and visuo-tactile stimulation was then applied to elicit the Full Body Ownership Illusion (i.e., to perceive and regard a virtual body as one’s own real body). Subsequently, the body-related AB was assessed during 30-second free exposure to the participant’s avatar reflected in a mirror in the virtual environment. The fixation pattern was recorded through the eye-tracking feature of the HMD and then processed by OGAMA software (Freie Universität, Berlin, Germany). AB was assessed using complete fixation time (AB_CFT) and number of fixations (AB_NF), respectively defined as the difference between visual fixation durations (in seconds) and the number of fixations in weight-related body parts minus in non-weight-related body parts (classification based on the Weight Scale of body items of the PASTAS questionnaire; Reed et al., 1991). Stepwise multiple linear regression analyses were performed to identify possible predictors of AB (both AB_CFT and AB_NF).

Results: Linear regression’s five assumptions (linearity, independence of errors, homoscedasticity, normality and non-multicollinearity) were satisfied. Analyses showed that both body dissatisfaction and self-disgust predicted AB_CFT with respectively B(EDI-BD→AB_CFT) = .360 (p < .001) and B(Disgust→AB_CFT) = -.176 (p = 0.011), in a model accounting for 14.1% of the explained variability (significant linear relation confirmed by ANOVA: p = .001). Similarly, both body dissatisfaction and self-disgust predicted AB_NF with respectively B(EDI-BD→AB_NF) = .914 (p < .001) and B(Disgust→AB_NF) = -.397 (p = .016), in a model accounting for 15.1% of the explained variability (significant linear relation confirmed by ANOVA: p < .001). None of the other variables analyzed as possible predictors (BMI, FGW and anxiety) explained a significant additional variance percentage of AB_CFT or AB_NF, so they did not become part of the respective regression equations.

Conclusion: Both body dissatisfaction and self-disgust are significant predictors of AB. However, while an increase in body dissatisfaction predicted greater AB towards weight-related body areas (positive regression coefficients), the opposite occurred with self-disgust (negative regression coefficients). Such results provide first evidence that self-disgust, which is a more intense negative feeling than body dissatisfaction, leads to gaze avoidance towards weight-related body areas, considered as disgust elicitors. Furthermore, this study shows how the combined use of virtual reality and eye-tracking technology offers new opportunities to assess body-related AB, improve research to understand AN and enhance its treatment.

ABSTRACT. Introduction. Assessments of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) usually follow semi-structured procedures limited in their objectivity. First, they are administered in settings with reduced ecological validity; second, they measure child’s behaviors qualitatively, rather than using objective and implicit measurements that tap into the biological basis of the disorder. Novel technology-based procedures are being developed and tested to fulfill these needs. Specifically, virtual reality (VR) is a promising technology for ASD assessment, enabling the simulation of everyday situations wherein authentic psychophysiological reactions can be measured in controlled settings. Moreover, the recent inclusion of sensory dysfunction into ASD diagnostic criteria has fostered research on this objective biomarker. In ASD, electrodermal activity (EDA) represents a reliable marker of the psychophysiological reactions to sensory stimulations In particular, children with ASD present atypical EDA during baseline recording and in response to sensory stimulations. There is also a relationship between EDA in ASD and the diagnostic score indexes. The present study tested the feasibility of a VR interactive procedure for detecting different patterns in the EDA between children with ASD and typical development (TD). The relationship between EDA in children with ASD and their diagnostic score indexes was also tested. Method. Twenty children with ASD and twenty with TD between 3 and 6 yo participated in the study. The ASD diagnosis was made previously by expert clinicians by the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule 2 (ADOS-2). Participants performed three interactive tasks in the VR system Cave Assisted Virtual Environment (CAVE) while the Empatica E4 wristband measured their EDA. The virtual interaction was ensured by using the Azure Kinect DK. Firstly, participants recorded an EDA baseline for 60 seconds, with no virtual stimulation involved. Then, three virtual tasks were presented in a randomized order. These tasks asked users to perform game-based and non-game-based goal-directed actions with different limbs. Participants had to kick five virtual balls in the kick task (KT), while in the bubble task (BT), they had to explode thirty falling bubbles. These tasks required game-based actions. Finally, in the flower task (FT), which asked for non-game-based goal-directed actions, participants had to pick up a flower and leave it on a bench five times. Care was taken to ensure the same conditions across participants (e.g., room temperature and brightness). The recorded EDA signal was decomposed in the skin conductance level (SCL) and skin conductance response (SCR). Results. EDA recorded at baseline in the ASD group was positively related to their diagnostic score indexes, while there was no correlation with the EDA across tasks. In addition, the computed EDA metrics at baseline differed between groups. In particular, children with ASD presented more significant variability in the SCL and superior SCR than their peers with TD. Regarding tasks, in the KT and BT, there was no difference between groups in their EDA, while in the FT, more variability in the SCL of the autistic children was found. Conclusion. This study reinforced previous evidence of differences in the EDA at the autonomic level in individuals with ASD, as well as on the relationship between EDA in ASD and diagnostic score indexes. In addition, it suggested the presence of different arousal responses in children with ASD when they are asked to perform certain non-game-based virtual activities, likely perceived as more challenging than game-based tasks. This evidence might be relevant for implementing VR systems involving multimodal measurements to assess early and objectively ASD.

ABSTRACT. Eating disorders have historically been associated with straight, emaciate, young, white females. However, the reality is far different. Eating disorders affect people from all demographic groups. Recent studies have shown that a large number of individuals who does not fit in the DSM-5 classification of eating disorders, still suffer from dysfunctional eating attitude and behaviors (DEAB) associated to body perceptual disturbances. The continuum of DEAB – which includes eating disorders - have a complex and holistic etiology involving transactions among sociocultural, psychological, and biological factors. There is a need for a deep understanding and inclusive assessment methods to improve health intervention strategies. In the last two decades, new technologies have proved to be valuable tools to be implemented in mental health research and practice. More specifically, new technologies (e.g., virtual reality, Internet, mobile app) have been successfully implemented for DEAB associated to body perceptual disturbances. This symposium, titled “A Transdisciplinary e-Health Approach Applied to Dysfunctional Eating Attitudes and Behaviors”, proposes to aggregate transdisciplinary contributions on innovative and promising methodological advancements in new technologies (i.e., virtual reality, online-based and app-based assessment and intervention methods, machine learning) aimed to the understanding, assessment and intervention on DEAB.

ABSTRACT. Psychometrics is widely used in clinical practice and thousands of validated scales are available in the literature. However, practitioners face several limitations in the use of these tools. Hence, can we consider these items to be totally representative of the individual's intrapsychic experience? Several demonstrated biases exist in psychological assessment situations: social desirability bias (Fisher & Katz, 2000) ; related to the format of passing, whether through the interview or through the questionnaire (Morgado et al., 2017). The rise of cyberpsychology is leading to an evolution of practices and offers new possibilities. However, relatively little scientific work exists to date in the context of psychometric assessment.

The first objective of our study is to evaluate the influence of environmental variations on the anxiety state and stress level of the participant in a psychometric evaluation situation, through the use of virtual reality and neurophysiological sensors. We consider that the environment in which the assessment takes place can be experienced as anxiety-provoking and stressful for the patient and thus influence his psychological state and the responses he gives. If the environment influences the individual's state of anxiety and stress level at the time of the assessment, this may underline the idea that current psychometrics assess the individual's psychological state in relation to the environment and not only in relation to daily life. The second is to investigate the complementarity between the use of virtual reality and neurophysiological sensors during a psychometric assessment of anxiety.

We raise the following research questions: Does the change of environment in virtual reality impact the level of anxiety and the state of stress of “all coming” young adults in a psychometric assessment situation? Is there a complementarity between declarative data and neurophysiological data collected during a psychometric evaluation of anxiety of “all coming” young adults?

First, a pre-test will take place during which we will recruit participants in order to evaluate and classify our environments into three categories: anxious, soothing and neutral. All environments will be created in collaboration with the company FeelU.

After that, in order to test our hypotheses, we will recruit 80 young adults who will be received in random groups for four sessions. All participants will complete an in-vivo control session to create a baseline with a psychometric anxiety collection (STAI) followed by the Perceveid Stress Scale. A neurophysiological data collection will take place throughout the session with neurophysiological sensors. The participants will then be reviewed 3 times to complete test sessions. They will all take place in virtual reality. The environments will come from the three categories. Each participant will be immersed in an environment of each category, defined according to his own feelings. the three sessions take place in the same way, only the environment will change. The participant will complete an in-virtuo anxiety assessment and the Perceveid Stress Scale and an assessment of presence (ITC-SOPI) after the immersion. Neurophysiological data will be collected during the entire session and a clinical interview with a psychologist.

Currently, we are in the preparation and implementation of the pre-test protocol. We hope to collect during our PhD work exploratory results that would allow us to demonstrate the impact of the environments on the psychological and neurophysiological state of the individual in a psychometric situation and to study the complementarity of the subjective and neurophysiological data. We assume that the results of our study will show an influence of the environment on the psychometric evaluation. We also assume a link between qualitative and neurophysiological data. The validation of these assumptions would provide initial data that could be helpful to create innovative tools in psychometric assessment

ABSTRACT. Objective. Arc screen with real time projection is used to reduce surgical stress during cesareans and improve human health care in global pandemic. Methodology. 40 Young pregnant mothers under regional anesthesia (peridural block) participated using an arc screen, they watched their babies 30 cm in front their faces while their hands explored and caressing them from the first moment of birth together with the Gynecologist. Pediatrician explore the newborn together with the mother while she is laying down watching the arc screen. This experience is shared with remote families by videoconference. Eva scale was used to measure anxiety where 0 = no anxiety and 10 highest anxiety. This technique is used since February 2020. Results. Mothers anxiety was reduced, X 2 square was ρ= 0.05 x = 27.28 (picture 1), 63% stress, 100% satisfaction in mothers, relatives, surgical team. No complications was presented related with the system. 163 relatives were linked from 8 countries and 3 continents (picture 2). We avoid fentanyl and midazolam. This system is in patent pending: International Application number: PCT/IB2022/050674 Application date: January 26, 2022 WIPO: World Intellectual Property Organization. Conclusions. With this arc screen system is possible reduce in pregnant mothers during cesareans the followings responses: fear, social distance, concerns, anxiety, surgical stress in global pandemic and all emergences that needs lockdown. Real time baby projection emerging uterus is one of the best moment of mothers lives and touch them is singular. This method has been used in pediatric surgery, neonatal care unit, in the postoperative (hospitalization in adult).

ABSTRACT. Context: The previous presentation of this symposium highlighted the presence of seven eaters profiles, placed on a continuum characterized by a functional and dysfunctional pole. The object of this presentation is an e-Health education program, the eSILENCE 1.2 program, which was designed and developed according to the needs of the eaters profiles previously identified. This research falls within the field of health education, a field that had to digitally transform into e-Health education during the COVID-19 pandemic. The eSILENCE 1.2 program is based on the Pros-A approach, which targets Perceptions, relationships, occupations and sensations related to the Act of eating. The general objective of this program is to help individuals to transform their dysfunctional eating attitudes and behaviors into functional eating attitudes and behaviors or maintain them. In this presentation the digital content of the program (e.g., 180s animated videos and digital pamphlets delivered via the Audit-Me-Lori Platform) and as well as the evaluation protocol (including virtual reality assessment) would be presented.

Methods: The eSILENCE 1.2 program is characterized by seven modules (in addition to an introduction and conclusion module): Myths and Realities (first), Perception, Relation, Occupation, Sensation, Myths and Realities (second). Each module is characterized by a short video and an explanatory digital pamphlet integrating virtual reality via online and mobile applications. This program is addressed to people aged 16 years and over from the general population and to individuals at risk of developing dysfunctional eating attitudes and behaviors. Self-reported questionnaires would be used to evaluate the preliminary effects of the program on eating attitudes and behaviors and virtual reality-based methods would be used in order to assess the presence and potential changes in body image perceptual distortions, at pre-, post- and at 3-month follow-up. Pre-post- module assessments will allow to monitor idiographic changes in eating attitudes and behaviors and in body image perceptions. Satisfaction with the intervention program will be assessed at post-test.

Conclusion: Responding to a public health concern, this innovative project is part of a self-management perspective in eating education using a mobile application integrated to social media, to promote functional Pros-A. The relevance of the eSILENCE 1.2 program is to bet on the powerful combination of (i) social media as a medium of accessibility to reach populations anywhere and at any time, (ii) virtual reality as a process of bodily immersion and (iii) internet applications as optimization of secure data collection and storage. Faced with the new societal realities in terms of well-being/health and difficulties in accessing health services brought to light by the pandemic of COVID-19, the eSILENCE 1.2 program has the potential to be a valid resource for those in needs of guided self-administered intervention program targeting eating attitudes and behaviors.

ABSTRACT. Background and objectives: Social cognition abilities are frequently impaired in severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). On the one hand, these difficulties are likely to contribute to social, behavioral disorders. Such changes are frequent and reported by caregivers, but they remain under-examined and are rarely objectively quantified in clinical practice. Moreover, methodological limitations have been highlighted in existing social-cognitive tasks, especially their lack of ecological validity and the fact that social cognition processes are usually assessed separately from each other. This study aims at testing the feasibility of the REALSoCog task in severe TBI. This task is a new non-immersive virtual reality serious game for assessing social cognition, which has been pretested with a more extended version of the task in two case studies. This tool addresses some of the current gaps in social cognition assessment and aims to objectively investigate inappropriate social conducts. Its goal is to provide a measure reflecting real difficulties by using concrete scenarios that integrate stimuli encountered in a simulated real-world environment. Social cognition is then tested in an interactive context while respecting its multidimensional nature. On the other hand, from a theoretical perspective, very few studies have addressed the impact of individual factors such as post-traumatic stress-disorder (PTSD) on social-cognitive functioning, especially in severe TBI where PTSD is likely to occur. Thus, the secondary aim of the present study was to investigate the PTSD impact on patients' social-cognitive abilities. Participants and method: Social cognition and PTSD were assessed in 10 patients with severe TBI (33.5  13.6 years old) compared with 162 age-matched healthy controls (36.8  13.9 years old). Assessing social cognition, participants were asked to complete the REALSoCog task, a non-immersive virtual reality task, displayed on a computer screen. They watched a pre-recorded navigation in first-person perspective in a virtual city environment in which they encountered 16 social situations. These scenarios involved neutral interactions (i.e., 6 control situations), moral or conventional transgressions (4 situations each) and/or elicited empathy (5 situations). Experimental situations focused on negative emotions and/or malicious behaviors to test participants' response under these conditions. The social cues manipulated were verbal and/or nonverbal (e.g., prosody, body language and gestures). Participants were asked to judge these situations, guided by questions allowing the assessment of moral cognition, Theory of Mind (ToM; cognitive and affective), empathic concern, and the propensity to act inappropriately. A self-report questionnaire, the PCL-5 (the Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5), was then used to detect the presence of PTSD in patients. Results: Intergroup comparisons using Mann-Whitney tests revealed social cognition disturbances in patients with severe TBI in comparison with healthy controls, by showing (i) a reduced emotional empathy, (ii) difficulties to infer others’ emotions (affective ToM), and (iii) higher proportion of inappropriate behavioral intentions when facing situations that involved a transgression or designed to elicit empathy for a victim. Considering the self-report questionnaire, a PTSD was suspected in 60% of our patients with severe TBI (PTSD+). When comparing patients from the PTSD+ group to healthy controls, intergroup comparisons confirmed the above mentioned social cognition disturbances. By contrast, those from the PTSD- group did not significantly differ from healthy controls.

Conclusions: This pilot study argues in favor of the validity of REALSoCog to objectively highlight social-cognitive disturbances in patients with severe TBI, by replicating social cognition deficits reported in the literature. These outcomes are possible thanks to a novel tool that innovatively measures behavioral intentions and integrated social-cognitive functioning.

ABSTRACT. Fear of public speaking is widespread. While sufferers typically avoid eye contact with the audience, it is not known if reducing gaze avoidance can alleviate their fear. We developed a stand-alone, virtual reality (VR) gaze exposure treatment and tested its effectiveness in a single-blind, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial in 89 healthy adults with fear of public speaking. The gaze exposure focused on the maintenance of eye contact with virtual audiences across increasingly difficult social situations. The primary outcome was subjective fear in a real-life public speaking test (PST), measured by the Subjective Units of Distress Scale. Secondary outcomes included the relative dwell time on faces during public speaking, as measured by eye-tracking, as well as a global speech quality assessment during the PST. Assessments were done at baseline, after a single 1-h app use (phase 1), and after additional repeated (9 × 20 min) app use at home (phase 2). We applied linear mixed models to analyze the primary and secondary outcomes in separate models. For the primary outcome analysis, a linear mixed model included the SUDS fear rating during the PST as the dependent variable. Group (treatment vs. control group; between-subject factor), time point (t0: baseline, t1: after study phase 1, t2: after study phase 2; within-subject factor) as well as their interaction were included as independent variables. The Participant-ID was included as the random intercept effect. For the subjective fear during the PST we found a significant interaction between group and time point (i.e., baseline, post treatment 1, post treatment 2) (F [2,154] = 23.32, p < 0.0001). For the relative dwell time on faces we again found a significant interaction between group and time point (F [2,151] = 8.71, p = 0.00026). For the global performance as assessed by the committee, there was no significant interaction between group and time point (F [2,154] = 0.24, p = 0.79). Post-hoc tests revealed that after the additional home-treatment, the repeated use of the treatment app led to a significant reduction of subjective fear during the PST in study phase 2, 34.00 days [SD 4.44] after the last use of the app (treatment group, post intervention phase 2: 26.60 [SD 19.23]; control group, post intervention phase 2: 56.34 [SD 28.15]; p < 0.0001; adjusted group difference = −29.82, 95% CI: −41.77 to −17.87; Cohen’s d = − 1.07). For the main secondary outcome, the home treatment with the app benefitted the relative dwell time on faces (treatment group, post intervention phase 2: 0.30 [SD 0.09]; control group, post intervention phase 2: 0.19 [SD 0.12]; p < 0.0001; adjusted group difference=0.09, 95% CI: 0.05 to 0.13; Cohen’s d = 0.97). The repeated use of a VR-based gaze exposure treatment leads to a large reduction of fear in a real-life speech situation, suggesting high effectiveness of a treatment focused on gaze behavior. Stand-alone, widely accessible, and scalable treatment tools offer evidence-based solutions and alternatives at a low threshold for initiation, thereby countering the dissemination problem of traditional in-vivo treatment.

ABSTRACT. The use of VR for the study and treatment of social anxiety is a popular, and continually expanding field of research. One of the primary criticisms of the area as stands is the lack of understanding of what features of the virtual experience lead to participants feeling greater or reduced levels of anxiety, with one potentially important feature being the environmental context. Environmental context refers to the multi-layered concept of a location, including its visual features (lighting, colour, architecture, layout), and auditory features, along with its associations (e.g., stressful, relaxing, boring), and expectations of how you should act (e.g., place of work/leisure, formal/informal). For social anxiety, environmental context appears to play an important role as those feelings of anxiety can be manifested or amplified by the social circumstances a person finds themselves in. Despite the relevance of this feature, it has been largely unexplored in social anxiety VR research. This pilot study provides an initial exploration of the relationship between environmental context and social anxiety by using images of virtual environments. The locations are all 3D modelled environments, with no humans or animals visible in the images, depicting every day, realistic settings (bar, beach resort, café, classroom, factory, gym, library, night club, office, park, supermarket) apart from a control condition that depicts a neutral grey landscape with 4 pillars and a wall. The study is conducted using an online questionnaire. Participants are shown 15 images of the locations and asked to imagine themselves in a group conversation there, with other people present around the area. They are then asked to rank the locations either in terms of how socially uncomfortable, or how socially comfortable they would feel there. Following this, for each location image participants are asked to rate the locations on a 5-point Likert scale in terms of self-threat, efficacy, perseveration, negative valence, and arousal. Lastly, participants are asked to explain why they rated the locations as they did in an open question box. Data collection is still currently ongoing, with collection and analysis aimed to be completed by February. Based on preliminary findings, participants on average reported lowest expected anxiety in nature settings including beaches and parks, with the classroom, nightclub, and gym settings having the highest average anxiety ratings. This study is the first in a larger PhD project titled “An Investigation of the Key Features of VR Social Anxiety Experiences”. The findings of this study will inform the locations used in a future VR study on the influence of environmental context on social anxiety.

ABSTRACT. The design of cybertherapy systems using virtual environments poses several methodological questions. In this paper, we focus on the design of avatars, i.e., digital self representations, which can be used by both patients and psychotherapists alike, as well as the design of the contents of the virtual scene. Three design philosophies are discussed and compared: (a) verisimilitude, in which every effort is made for the virtual environment to match the patient’s representations of a traditional therapy session ; (b) personalized, in which the technology is leveraged to provide the patient with an environment that is suited to their own personal preferences; and (c) everyday world, in which the session takes place in virtual environments made to look like the everyday situations which the psychotherapy aims to help the patient cope with, e.g., social interactions in the treatment of social anxiety disorders, exposure to the object of a phobia, etc. Based on the results of a rudimentary case study, a methodology is discussed for the design and evaluation of user avatars and scenery for cybertherapy environments based on each of these philosophies.

ABSTRACT. Background The Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) is a valid and gold standard for inducing psychosocial stress and is widely used in research and diagnostics. The downsides of the TSST are that it is labor-intensive and the difficulty of maintaining the same experimental conditions. A TSST in a virtual reality environment (TSST-VR) is easy-to-use and remains exactly the same with repetition. A classic version of the TSST-VR exists, however to differentiate between the effects of different levels of stress in diagnostics, prognosis and therapy, our version aims to test three levels of stress induction (no stress, moderate and high level of stress), all fully within virtual reality.

Aim The aim is to investigate whether there is a statistically significantly greater increase directly after the TSST-VR in psychological and physiological stress parameters in the moderate and high-stress levels compared to the no-stress condition (control) and when comparing the moderate and high stress level to each other.

Method A three-arm single-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial is conducted in healthy adults, with the three stress levels as conditions. The “no stress” condition consists of an easy interview task (e.g., questions on favourite holidays) and an easy arithmetic task. The panel members have friendly facial expressions and gestures and respond positively. The moderate stress condition is identical to the classic TSST: a difficult interview task (job interview) and a difficult arithmetic task. The panel members have neutral facial expressions and gestures and respond minimally, withholding social evaluative reassurance. The high-stress condition consists of the same tasks, but the panel shows negative facial expressions and gestures and makes negative social-evaluative remarks. At baseline, sociodemografic characteristics were recorded, as well as the Social Phobia Inventory for measuring baseline social phobia. Measurements on anxiety (6 item-State Anxiety Inventory, STAI-6 )and perceived physical arousal (Physical Activity Questionnaire, PAQ) and cortisol response (salivary cortisol) were measured at baseline and at several time points during the experiment: at the end of a 20-minute resting baseline period, directly after the tasks and after 20- and 40-minutes recovery. Heart rate variability is measured continuously and adverse events are recorded during the experiment and at one-week follow-up.

Results Preliminary data showed a mean score of 11.15 points (SD 1.71, N=4) on the STAI-6 directly after the stress test in the no-stress condition, a mean score of 14.00 points (SD 4.52, N=5) in the moderate stress condition and a mean score of 13.50 points (SD 2.07, N=8) in the high-stress condition. The mean scores on the PAQ directly after the stress test were 12.25 points (SD 9.91, N=4) in the no-stress condition, 13.20 (SD 4.44, N=5) in the moderate stress condition and 15.88 points (SD14.93, N=8) in the high-stress condition. Physiological data is also collected and will be analyzed soon. Further inclusion is ongoing and all results will be available in July 2023.

Conclusion This study focuses on the effect of the TSST-VR on psychological and physiological stress. When effective, the TSST-VR provides an accessible way to include incremental stress-responsiveness measures in diagnosis, prognosis and treatment allowing for an individualized, fine-grained approach.

ABSTRACT. Limited empirical evidence exists regarding information processing and behavioral patterns in metaverse-based virtual reality. Previous resarch suggests that the perspective from which an individual experiences a virtual environment (i.e., first-person or third-person perspective) influences the accuracy of their memory for that environment (Iriye & Jacques, 2021). First-person perspective experiences have been found to enhance visual memory accuracy due to their greater sense of presence and immersion in the environment, while, third-person perspective experiences enhance spatial memory accuracy due to their wider camera field of view. In this study, we aimed to extend these findings to a metaverse expereince and compared memory performance between two groups: thosse who directly exeperienced the metaverse with an avatar and those who watched a video of a metaverse experience. We also measured subjective expereinces such as metaverse immersion and intesion to use. Eighty participants aged 18 tp 29 years were randomly assigned to either a metaverse tour group (experimental) or a metaverese tour video viewing group (control). Participants in the experimental group directly accessed the metaverse platform spance through pre-created avatars and toured exhibition and party spaces with a guide. Participants in the control gorup watched a video of the experimental group's metaverse tour in real time. Key outcome measures included visual memory performance (immediated and delayed recognition) and metaverse experiences (immersion, perceived usefulness, usage intention, perceived enjoyment, and metaverse self-efficacy). Memory performance was tested immediately and following a 1-week delay. Metaverse expereicnes were also measured after experiening or watching the metaverse tour. The two groups did not differ in terms of depression symtoms, loneliness, personality (extraversion and neuroticism), video streaming usage, and social networking site usage time. Immediate memory was better for the watching group than the metaverse tour group, while there was no group difference in delayed memory (both groups showed a similar rate of forgetting during the one-week period). Metaverse experiences appeared to be more positive in the metaverse tour group (i.e., more immersive experience, higher metaverse usage intention, higher perceived enjoyment) than the watching group. Results imply that the virtual reality experience through avatars within the metaverse increases presence and immersion, but it does not necessarily enhance memory performance. Further exploration of the results is needed by considering users of various age groups and individual characteristics.

ABSTRACT. Older age and cognitive inactivity have been associated with cognitive impairment, as seniors often face limited access to stimulating activities and cognitive training. Emerging non-pharmacological interventions using new technologies, such as virtual reality (VR), might offer a cost-effective alternative to maintain and/or improve cognition. We present SenopiMed, a VR-based cognitive intervention for older adults. After several usability tests with seniors and healthcare professionals in Switzerland, Norway and Sweden, Senopi is conducting a double-blind, prospective Randomized Clinical Trial (RCT) (Clinicaltrials.gov ID NCT05369897) to evaluate the efficacy and safety of SenopiMed. It consists of a warm-up module and three modules of cognitive training targeting attention, working memory and processing speed. Users perform cognitive exercises in different natural environments such as a 360 degrees mountain environment, while listening to their preferred music genre. To date, 70 healthy seniors (MoCA score >26) aged 65-84 years were randomly allocated to the experimental group using SenopiMed or to the control group using a VR headset showing nature videos. The 12-week cognitive intervention of 12 minutes was planned to be delivered 3 times per week (36 sessions). The users took on average 39.8 sessions (range 1-100), with 60% taking more than 36 sessions. Most of the users (95%) found the glasses easy to use and felt safe when using the glasses (96%). Between 79-97% of the users reported enjoying the exercises, and also high degrees of satisfaction with both the environments (78%) and the music (71% reported good mood while listening to music during the exercises). Most of the users (74%) reported being more likely to use the glasses if recommended by a medical doctor, and would pay out of pocket to use the glasses (52%). Our results show that the adherence to SenopiMed is high, with high degrees of satisfaction. SenopiMed is an easy tool with joyful virtual environment for cognitive interventions during aging.

ABSTRACT. Flow state is a state of intense focus and engagement, which is fulfilling for people experiencing it and therefore sought-after by creators of virtual games and experiences. As theorized by Csíkszentmihályi, flow can be subdivided into nine components: merging of actions and awareness, clear goals, concentration on the task at hand, unambiguous feedback, challenge-skill balance, transformation of time, sense of control, loss of self-consciousness, and autotelic experience. Virtual Reality (VR) is known to be one of the most immersive technologies available today. As such, it has great potential to foster flow state in its users. This work tries to determine which design characteristics favor flow the most in VR, with respect to providing guidance to the user. In particular, this research examines whether text hints or glowing cues are more effective to foster feelings of flow in a VR escape room. The intensity of flow state has been evaluated through the Activity Flow State Scale (AFSS) designed by Payne et al., and qualitative data has also been gathered, from direct observation and user comments. AFSS score, duration of the VR experience, and duration estimated by the participants, have been compared between the version of the VR escape room which presents hints as text prompts and the one in which relevant objects glow. This data has then been connected to findings resulting from the thematic analysis of direct observation and user comments. The results did not provide a clear indication that either of the hint versions distinctly produced more flow, but rather that they both acted in different ways on separate flow components. In particular, the component "clear goals" had a higher average score for the version of the escape room with text hints. The qualitative data also gave rise to several insights into the complexities of designing Virtual Reality experiences to foster flow.

ABSTRACT. Background: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a globally widespread pathology that causes a not completely reversible limitation of air flow. COPD is associated with a long course and frequent hospitalizations leading to high levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. In this context, Virtual Reality (VR) enhanced with savoring, that is the ability to generate and intensify positive emotions, can be a promising approach to promote well-being and relaxation in patients with COPD. Objective: This ongoing study aims to investigate the feasibility of a relaxation VR-based intervention enhanced with savoring in COPD patients in increasing emotional and psychological well-being, positive emotions, relaxation, oxygen saturation levels and in decreasing negative emotions. It also examines the acceptance of VR, the user experience and the sense of presence experimented by the participants. Methods: Forty-six hospitalized patients of the Pulmonary Rehabilitation Unit of IRCCS INRCA Casatenovo are enrolled in this randomized controlled trial study approved from Ethics Committee of the IRCCS INRCA Casatenovo. Together with the traditional pulmonary rehabilitation, the experimental group (N=23) takes part in the VR-based intervention, while the active control group (N=23) listens to relaxing music. The intervention lasts 2 weeks and includes four sessions, each lasting 20 minutes. In each session, participants of the experimental group watch a relaxing virtual scenario integrated with a narrative voice and lasting about 10 minutes. To consolidate and amplify the positive emotions elicited in VR, participants are guided in savoring the present moment and thought positive reminiscence. Both groups complete the questionnaires before and after the intervention (emotional and psychological well-being, positive and negative emotions, relaxation, oxygen saturation levels) and before and after each session (relaxation, oxygen saturation levels). Results: Repeated measures ANOVA will be conducted to compare the effects generated by the intervention with the ones generated in the control group. An increasing in emotional and psychological well-being, positive emotions, relaxation and saturation levels and a decreasing in negative emotions are expected in the experimental group compared to the control group. Furthermore, descriptive analysis related to the acceptance of VR, the sense of presence and user experience will be carried out. Conclusions: The integration of VR and savoring can be a promising path in promoting well-being in COPD patients. Indeed, savoring can amplify the positive effects of VR and create a connection with the positive experiences in patients' lives. Consequently, participants can build positive resources to counteract the harmful psychological effects caused by COPD.

ABSTRACT. Context: There is an increasing emphasis on physical appearance in Western culture, especially among women. Societal norms convey ideas that a perfect physical appearance symbolizes the admiration of others, success, and happiness. Many women tend to evaluate themselves physically against these unrealistic societal norms. Objectification theory suggests that because women are increasingly objectified in multiple social contexts, they are more likely to succumbing to an outsider's perspective of their own bodies, which is associated with shame, anxiety and eating disorders. Objectification theory states that because women are more aware of their physical appearance, they have fewer attentional resources with which to focus on their internal state (i.e., hunger and satiety). Because women tend to adopt another person's point of view of their own body, which may diminish attention to internal cues, it would be relevant to assess the effects of the fear of negative judgment of others in relation to one's own body (i.e., social physique anxiety) on interoceptive awareness. However, to date, no study has examined the relationship between social physique anxiety and interoceptive awareness. In recognition of the importance of publishing research protocols before study begins, the objective of this presentation is to present the protocol of a study that aims to explore the effects of exposure to a virtual environment (VE) potentially inducing physical social anxiety on interoceptive awareness in adult women from the general population.

Method: Participants will be women from a non-clinical population. Inclusion criteria will be as follows: over 18 years old, under 40 years old, self-identifying as female, never have been diagnosed with an eating disorder or an anxiety disorder and being able to read and understand French. Participants will be randomly assigned to two experimental conditions: (a) a potentially anxiety-provoking condition (anx VE) featuring a swimming pool with the presence of other virtual humans, and (b) a control condition (neutral VE). The anxiety-provoking VE is expected to induce physical social anxiety in participants with an ecologically valid immersive environment in which physically fit virtual humans in swimsuits around a pool will glare, chat with each other, laugh, and approach the participant. This VE will allow to manipulate social physique anxiety (independent variable) on interoceptive awareness (dependent variable). Participants will be asked to complete self-report questionnaires before and after the immersion using measurement of interoceptive awareness such as the Body Awareness Questionnaire (BAQ; Shields et al., 1989), the Body Responsiveness Scale (BRS; Daubenmier, 2005) and The Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA; Mehling et al., 2012). The Social Physique Anxiety Scale (SPAS; Hart et al., 1989) will be used as a manipulation check to determine the effectiveness of the anxiety-provoking condition. Anxiety will also be assessed by using physiological measures during the immersion. Potential confound variables will be measured, such as immersive tendencies (at pre), unwanted negative side effects (at pre and post) and the presence of social presence (at post). Repeated measures ANOVAs will be used to assess the relation between social physique anxiety and interoceptive awareness. This study will be approved by the ethics committee of the Université du Québec en Outaouais (Quebec, Canada).

Conclusion: The publication of the protocol of this study enhances transparency in the research process, reduce publication bias and may prevent unnecessary duplication of research by informing the research community about what research activity is currently being carried out in this research field. Moreover, the results of this study could make a unique contribution to the literature by experimentally testing the relationship between social physique anxiety and interoceptive awareness, with the long-term goal of preventing the development of mental health problems, especially body image disturbances.

ABSTRACT. From 2000 to 2009, insomnia in military personnel increased 73-fold. We found that 20% (nearly 441,000 reserve and active duty across branches) of active duty service members had insomnia pre-deployment, 74% while deployed, and 33% post-deployment. Insomnia is a significant risk factor for post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, suicidality, substance abuse, and pain. While Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBTI) has considerably more long-term effectiveness than medications, there are not enough providers trained to deliver CBTI, partially because there are too few training opportunities. We developed and tested CBTIweb as a user-friendly and engaging training platform to increase provider access to CBTI training. Since its launch (April 1, 2020), CBTIweb has provided an entire course of didactic training (equivalent to a typical 8-hour workshop provided by leaders in the field) to more than 1400 providers. Thus, CBTIweb is clearly addressing the shortage of providers trained in CBTI. In comparison to CBTIweb, only 1050 Veterans Administration (VA) providers have completed the in-person didactics in the past 10 years as part of a national dissemination of CBTI. However, after didactic training in a new intervention (e.g., CBTI), therapists require supervised clinical training to achieve competence with human standardized patients (HSPs). Unfortunately, HSPs are limited by high costs, training efforts, and inconsistencies in their ability to accurately depict patients. In addition, new standardized patients often need to be trained every year, requiring more costs, variance, and trainer time. Thus, there is a serious need for technology that allows clinicians-in-training to practice CBTI first with interactive Virtual Standardized Patients that are based on real-life patients before their supervised clinical training. Building on our previous successes, we are utilizing state-of-the-science virtual reality, artificial intelligence (AI), and natural language processing (NLP) technologies to develop and test robust web-based Virtual Insomnia PatientsTM (VIPs) platform and integrate it into CBTIweb. The VIP AI responds strategically to provider input by utilizing a combination of expert systems and deep learning techniques such as the transformer architecture. The expert system uses the content collected from the Structured Clinical Interview for Sleep Disorders (SCISD) and military CBTI studies, stored in the VIP content storage system, as its knowledge base. Our VSPs involve a hybrid design process that mixes Agile and User-Centered iterative approaches with 3 main components: 1) realistic and artificially intelligent avatars for interacting with training clinicians; 2) front-end system that implements multiple virtual avatars of varying race, ethnicity, and genders built using the Unity game engine; 3) back-end system that handles data storage, automates diagnostic accuracy and therapist fidelity measures to provide real-time comparison and feedback. The real-time feedback system employs natural language processing of a trainee’s textual interactions with the VIP using computational models from the language used by real-life trained therapists. The VIP platform involves a universal storage language for the VIP dialog and symptoms that is updatable by trained clinicians, as well as a standardized 3D model system for the avatars allowing the selection of animations to match symptoms. This design relies on rapid internal and external testing to get user experience data throughout all iterations of development which is possible due to the idea that each of the sub-components of the platform can be built and tested independently and then merged with minimal effort. In summary, up to 74% of service members suffer from the consequences of insomnia (e.g., worse quality of life and resilience, physical and mental health, and increased fatigue and risk for occupational accidents and disability). VIPs will increase the availability of treatment and thereby improve service members’ psychosocial functioning, psychological and physical health, and overall fitness and decrease accidents and military expenses.

ABSTRACT. Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a global problem with an increasing incidence and prevalence. Behavioral activation (BA) is an evidence-based treatment (EBT) for MDD that can be successfully implemented with brevity and encourages people to increase engagement in pleasurable and/or mastery activities, decrease engagement in activities that maintain depression, and solve problems that limit access to reward. However, there are many barriers to engagement that clients encounter in BA, with lack of mobility, financial constraints, and amotivation being some examples. Virtual reality (VR) has been successfully used to enhance EBT’s for a variety of mental health conditions, but its use in depression and mood disorders is lacking. Specifically, VR had not been studied or reported on as a method of simulating BA within a clinical population. Using VR to engage in BA can eliminate barriers that may prevent implementation and fidelity by providing repeated accessible pleasant activities. Our previous research confirmed the feasibility, acceptability, and tolerability of using VR video 360 as a method of simulating pleasant activities during a remote 3-week, 4-session BA protocol for adults diagnosed with MDD during a global pandemic. Results also illustrated that VR BA has potential clinical utility in treating symptoms of depression, as the average VR BA participant diagnosis yielded a clinically significant change from a moderate severity level to mild depression, with an average decrease of 5.67 on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), outperforming a control group using traditional BA. Qualitative results revealed that VR may additionally increase users’ motivation to engage in real-life pleasant activities and may therefore have utility as a bridge between simulated and real-life behavioral activation. The current study expands on the previous findings and feedback by using a larger sample of 40 participants in a randomized controlled trial and allowing participants to select novel immersive and interactive VR experiences using a Meta Quest 2 headset with 6 degrees of freedom, designed to simulate real-world BA opportunities more closely. Participants were recruited within the United States, primarily via online advertisement, and met study criteria if they currently had MDD, were 18 years of age or older, and were English speaking. Participants were excluded if they had a substance use disorder in the past year, were diagnosed with psychosis or bipolar disorder, experienced any seizures in the past 6 months or had untreated epilepsy, experienced current suicidal urges and intent, experienced current non-suicidal self-injury, had changed psychotherapy treatment within four months of study entry, or had changed psychotropic medication(s) within two months of study entry. The presentation will discuss the present study’s findings to date, including the feasibility, acceptability, and tolerability of using an immersive and interactive VR headset as a method of simulating BA for adults diagnosed with MDD. Measures include dropout rates, serious adverse events, completion of homework, an adapted presence scale, a simulator sickness questionnaire, an adapted technology acceptance model, and a system usability scale. The presentation will also review clinical efficacy of using an immersive VR headset to engage in simulated BA compared to traditional BA treatment, as measured by the PHQ-9. Strengths, limitations, and conclusions of the data to date will also be discussed in detail.

ABSTRACT. Background: Studies have shown that the most common types of acquired brain injury that need cognitive intervention are Stroke and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Stroke and TBI survivors may experience a range of cognitive function impairments. Among these cognitive impairments, memory, orientation, language, attention, and executive dysfunction are the most frequently observed (Tatemichi, 1994, Kramer, 2002). Virtual Reality (VR) is a proven effective tool that’s capable of stimulating cognitive abilities (Maggio et al., 2019). Patients who suffer from a cognitive disability often need to go through rehabilitation in a clinical facility, however, when they are sent home the rehabilitation abruptly stops. Longitudinal studies found that the quality-of-life scores reported at the rehabilitation discharge usually don’t last (Schindel et al, 2021).

This study proposes the introduction of a “virtual coach/therapist” to an existing 3D virtual application (Systemic Lisbon Battery - SLB) to overcome this challenge. The “Virtual coach/therapist” will help the patient to proceed with performing the simple daily routine tasks in VR. This way, the patients can continue their rehabilitation process for a longer time after they leave the hospital, or the rehab center. The goal is to maximize the functional independence of patients who suffer from the various cognitive impairment. The application will have levels of difficulty. The app actively collects the data regarding patient’s progress and gives various tips and tasks for the patient to follow, while also being monitored by a real therapist on a timely basis. A clinician/therapist has access to the performance report remotely which is provided and sent by the application.

Methodology: Outpatients from Alcoitão Rehabilitation Medicine Center in Lisbon, Portugal, will take home the virtual application where they will train twice a week. Before the discharge from the center, one training session will take place for the patient/caregiver to better understand how to use the application. To assess the outcome, the following measures will be used: Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) as a cognitive screening test; Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) to assess executive functions; Rey Complex Figure (RCF) to assess visuoconstructive abilities and visual memory; d2 test to measure attention/concentration; Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale (IADL) to evaluate functionality, all validated for the Portuguese population. Each outpatient will be evaluated two times, once before the discharge and the second time will be after finishing the period of three months. The test results will be compared and analyzed by the end of the study in near future.

ABSTRACT. Immersive technologies, such as Virtual Reality (VR), have been shown to have potential in improving users’ emotions and well-being. However, there are several barriers to using VR for well-being, including cost, design, and the availability of diverse content. To understand how to effectively elicit positive emotions using VR across different age-groups, it is crucial to investigate which VR features are critical for that goal. Thus, our study aims to investigate the impact of immersion and virtual environment contents (natural vs. social) on different age-groups, as there is limited research on this aspect.

We recruited 38 undergraduates (19 women, 19 men, 22.4 ± 2.5 years old) and 24 older adults (17 women, 7 men, 70.3 ± 5.8 years old). The material consisted of two technologies with variable levels of immersion: a highly immersive Head-Mounted Display (HMD) and a less immersive computer screen (25-inch screen). The stimuli consisted of 360-degree videos validated in a previous study, with either natural, social or neutral (control) content. We employed both self-report and physiological measures of participants emotional responses. Self-reports consisted in valence and arousal ratings on the Self-Assessed Manikin Scale (SAM). Physiological emotional measures were acquired by the Empatica E4 wristband, which collects Electrodermal Activity (EDA) and Heart Rate. Additionally, the sense of presence was assessed with the Spatial Presence Experience Scale (SPES), and the Social Richness subscale from the Temple Presence Inventory (TPI-SR). Each participant was exposed to 360-degree videos on both a screen and an HMD in a counterbalanced order. For both levels of immersion, participants followed the same procedure. Participants were first asked to watch a control video (empty waiting room with shapes on the walls) twice for two minutes. The first viewing session served as a training phase so that the users could get comfortable with controlling the exploration in the 360° virtual world. During the second viewing, participants were asked to relax in order to record physiological data. Next, they watched two natural and then two social videos (or in the reverse order). After each video, participants filled out questionnaires to report their emotional feelings and sense of presence. Physiological data were acquired while viewing each video content. This procedure was repeated for each of the two technologies (HDM and screen).

As expected, the highly immersive HMD proved to be more efficient than the less immersive screen presentation for inducing positive emotions in both younger and older users. Interestingly, elderly users reported high levels of arousal for all videos viewed under the HMD, while younger adults reported variable arousal depending on the content viewed. Indeed, younger adults reported highest levels of arousal for social contents, followed by natural ones, and lastly the control content. Additionally, a raise in electrodermal activity can be observed when participants watched social contents under the HMD, confirming their arousing properties in comparison to natural contents. This raise in EDA is more pronounced for younger adults than their older counterparts, which goes in line with participants’ self-reported arousal. Preliminary analyses conducted on physiological responses indicate for all participants a Heart Rate deceleration while viewing natural contents, confirming their relaxing properties.

Overall, these preliminary findings suggest that while video content matters and lead to specific emotional responses in younger adults, older users reported high levels of positive emotions and arousal throughout most immersive experiences. Since these findings support the effectiveness of VR for fostering positive emotions in older users, potential applications for a “successful aging” or vulnerable users will be discussed.  

ABSTRACT. Sujeto52 is a VR serious game designed as a didactic learning complement for psychology students. Where you impersonate a laboratory subject that must complete a series of logical puzzles based on the learning principles of behaviorism, which will allow the understanding of concepts such as classical and operant conditioning, generalization, discrimination, habituation and sensitization of stimuli. It has been developed in the Unreal Engine videogame engine, specifically in its 5.1 version, also built through the use of blueprints, C++ and assets such as 3D models elaborated with Blender 3.3. It is currently under the final testing phase in order to fix bugs and performance issues. Furthermore, we are working on multiplatform support (Meta Quest 2, Pico Neo, and a version adapted to PC in which the gameplay does not involve VR) as well. Once this last testing phase is completed, the game will be implemented, and the learning acquired by the participating students from 4 universities (Colombia and Spain) will be evaluated, in order to collect information to determine the impact of this videogame.

ABSTRACT. It is widely established that information related to the self holds a special significance in our minds. For example, it has been shown that self-related information is remembered best. However, these studies mainly focused on the self as an object of knowledge and overlooked its subjective dimension. Consequently, recent research has started to target minimal and embodied forms of the self (i.e., bodily self-consciousness - BSC). BSC refers to the multisensory integration processes of bodily signals that contribute to building the subjective feeling of being a self in a body. The growing accessibility of virtual reality technology (VR) has made it possible the online multisensory bodily signals to induce the illusion of being embodied into a virtual avatar seen from the first-person perspective and to study its influence on episodic memory (EM) encoding. For example, it has been shown that integrating the participant’s body while encoding enhances performance during a subsequent recognition test. More recently, it has been demonstrated that self-identification, as provided by synchronous visuotactile stimulation over one’s body or a virtual mannequin, increases memory performance and precision and promotes memory phenomenology. However, these studies present limitations. First, these studies focus primarily on self-identification and omit other dimensions of BSC. Second, these studies used non-ecological material or procedure, such as words, objects, or intentional encoding, and do not reflect how EM operates in everyday life, hindering its multidimensional and associative nature. Therefore, we sought to test the role of BSC on EM close to its expression in daily life, examining incidental memory of new events experienced in a naturalistic controlled environment. Using immersive VR, we immersed 34 healthy young adults (22.11yo ± 4.77) in three parts of a naturalistic virtual city enriched with everyday life events. We manipulated visuomotor feedback to induce body illusion over a personalized avatar seen from 1PP. Depending on experimental conditions, the avatar’s body was either synchronized, asynchronized (650ms visuomotor delay), or occluded. BSC (self-identification, self-location, agency) and sense of presence were investigated using explicit and implicit tasks after each navigation. Then, we used a virtual memory test to assess participants' event memory for factual and contextual information (What, Where, When and binding), sense of remembering, and memory phenomenology using a free recall test and a recognition test both immediately and after a ten-day delay. Our results show that participants in the synchronous condition scored higher in all BSC dimensions and had a stronger sense of presence in the virtual environment. Furthermore, participants in the synchronous condition recalled more events and specific details and bindings, compared to the asynchronized condition and a better sense of remembering compared to the asynchronous and no-body conditions. We found that participants in the synchronous condition scored higher in all BSC dimensions and had a stronger sense of presence in the virtual environment compared to the asynchronous condition. Regarding episodic memory, we found that participants in the synchronous condition recalled more events and specific details and showed better associative memory independent of delay than the asynchronized condition. We also found a higher sense of remembering in this condition compared to the asynchronous and no-body conditions after one week's delay. Finally, a partial correlation analysis revealed a positive association between BSC, sense of presence, and memory phenomenology. Overall, these results support the role of BSC for EM encoding and unravel the link between the sense of self, sense of presence, and sense of remembering to promote EM in ecological settings. Embodiment in virtual reality could help to stimulate the brain network involved in EM.

ABSTRACT. Context. Biofeedback is a practical tool to provide real-time information on physiological arousal when practicing emotion regulation techniques. Using biofeedback while immersed in virtual reality (VR) has the advantage of offering a variety of contexts to master emotion regulation skills in progressively challenging situations. It is possible to practice emotion regulation skills such as relaxation when under stress levels that are kept at optimal levels. However, there is not much data on personality variables that contribute to the user’s engagement in stressors used for biofeedback training in VR. It has been shown that perfectionism is a significant predictor of stress in competitive performance tasks such as those used as VR stressors (e.g., a gamified stressful game). More information on the relevance of perfectionism may guide the development of further VR applications.

Objective and method. This study explored the influence perfectionism may have on change in psychological stress perceived by participants immersed in VR practising biofeedback. The sample will consist of 40 participants and 39 have been enrolled so far (62% women) with an age range of 18 to 64. Participants were subjected to two tasks: (a) a standardized stressor, and (b) an immersion in VR to practise biofeedback-assisted relaxation. The Montreal Imagery Stress Task (MIST) is a validated computerized protocol to induce moderate psychological stress. It is a performance-based stressor consisting of a series of challenging computerized mental arithmetic tasks combined with social evaluative threats. In the current study, the MIST was used as a reference condition to confirm perfectionism was indeed associated with stress in the sample. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the following conditions: (a) low stress VR, where participants walked through a virtual forest while receiving visual feedback on their stress level; and (b) high stress VR, where participants played a stressful performance game in VR while receiving visual feedback on their stress level. The biofeedback was experienced as a fog progressively masking the user’s field of view based in heart rate levels compared to baseline levels. The main measures used were the SCOPE (measuring levels of perfectionism) administered at pre-immersion and the Measure of Psychological Stress (MPS) administered at the pre-experiment baseline, after the MIST and after the immersions in VR. To replicate previous findings in our sample, it was predicted that perfectionism would predict change from pre to post MIST. Our principal hypothesis was that perfectionism would predict change from pre to post VR tasks after statistically controlling for the two VR conditions.

Results and Conclusions. Perfectionism was included as the “dependent” variable in a hierarchical regression with two control variables entered in the first step (VR condition and pre scores on the MPS) and MPS scores after the MIST and after the VR immersions. The final regression model was significant (F(4,38) = 5.2, p = .002, Adj R2 = .31). Perfectionism was significantly associated with stress after the MIST task (t = 3.84, p < .001, sr = .52) but, contrary to expectations, not to the VR task (t = -.3, p = .75, sr = -.0). Exploratory analyses are being conducted to identify alternative predictors of the stress response during the VR tasks. While awaiting to complete the expected sample, preliminary analyses are suggesting gaming experience, sensation seeking and coping strategies are significantly associated with stress experienced in the VR environments. More refined analyses will be conducted in the coming weeks. Results will be discussed in light of methodological limitations and will include recommendations to improve the stressors used to practise emotion regulation and suggestions to take users characteristics into account when providing instructions on the use of biofeedback in VR.

ABSTRACT. Background: Smartphones have evolved to become an advantageous device to utilize across the healthcare domain (Baumgart, D.C., 2011). As such, videoconferencing software has evolved as well, and has previously been utilized in various healthcare settings such as in consultations between patients and doctors (Ignatowicz, A., et al., 2019) and, in a similar context, to enable families to share the death experience during the COVID-19 pandemic (Billingsley, L., 2020). However, videoconferencing has yet to be used during childbirth to enable families to connect and observe the birth, to directly observe newborns’ faces, and to also overcome the distance between family members as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sample: Within two studies examining mothers utilizing a face shield as a projector on which to videoconference with family and her newborn (Vázquez, J., et al., 2022a, Vázquez, J., et al., 2022b), a specific case followed a French family’s ability to connect despite the location and time difference between Mexico and France.

Method: The mother is fitted with a single-use face shield with a 19 cm cloth square affixed to it. A micro-projector (Miroir, model MP30) projects a smartphone’s video onto the mother’s face shield from which she can communicate with family and observe her newborn. Connected via WhatsApp, the mother’s family can observe the birth of the newborn, and the newborn can also observe his mother’s face on a screen of his own. Such methodology was utilized to overcome the boundaries created by the COVID-19 pandemic and to ensure the optimum health and well-being of the mother and newborn. The mothers, fathers, parents, pediatric team, and obstetric team were asked to rate their satisfaction with utilizing the videoconferencing technology and with displaying the delivery on the mother’s face shield.

Results: Utilizing this non-invasive videoconferencing technique worked to decrease fear, anxiety, and pain in mothers undergoing the labor of childbirth. Additionally, in connecting families through the use of smartphones and WhatsApp, social distancing practices improved and enabled the safety and well-being of all parties involved in the childbirth. Such technique gives way to high satisfaction and happiness for the mothers as they can observe their newborns and safely connect with family members during the pandemic. All parties involved with the delivery reported a 100% satisfaction rate with the technology utilized during delivery. In this specific case study, a French family was able to connect across the globe while the mother gave birth. As the mother gave birth in Mexico (at 7 P.M. Mexico time), her husband was able to connect with his father in France (at 2 A.M. France time) who was able to observe and communicate with the mother and father during the birth of their child. Having the ability to communicate as such evokes strong, positive emotions and fosters a closer bond between family members.

Conclusion: While videoconferencing has been utilized in various healthcare situations, it has yet to be utilized to such a degree wherein the videoconferencing technique is created with the purpose of overcoming the limits that presented themselves during the COVID-19 pandemic and in the context of active childbirth. This is the first case in which we observe a family connecting across time and space via videoconference to observe the miracle of childbirth during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ABSTRACT. It is now well-known that self-reference processing greatly benefits the long-term memory encoding of new material, which is crucial in the learning and distinctiveness of memory traces and thus contributes to both autonomy and well-being. The self-reference effect refers to a tendency for individuals to encode information more effectively when it is related in some way to themselves. Neuroimaging research has shown that this effect is linked to the additional involvement of cortical midline structures, including the medial prefrontal cortex and anterior and posterior cingulate and medial parietal cortex, in areas critical for long-term memory encoding. Using an ecological approach based on VR technology, we demonstrated in healthy populations the beneficial effects of self-reference on the encoding of specific events encountered during a walk in a virtual city resembling the Latin quarter of Paris. Examining the self-referential impact using VR tasks could be valuable in revealing self-disorders in early-stage pathologies. The first psychotic episode, the beginning of the active phase of schizophrenia (SCZ), is usually preceded by a "prodromal phase" during which clinical signs are present at a sub-threshold level, either in intensity or frequency. Individuals with these signs are considered as having a "mental state at risk of psychosis" (Ultra High Risk, UHR), where the risk of psychotic transition is 30% in the following three years. This study aimed to investigate self-referential alterations as predictive markers of the transition to psychosis to improve early detection and propose early interventions. We immersed 22 UHR and 16 patients with SCZ matched in age and gender with 29 healthy controls in the virtual Latin Quarter of Paris. The participants all signed a free and informed consent form, and the ethical committee of Saint Anne Hospital approved the study. The virtual environment (VE) was projected onto a large screen, and participants could move forward in the town using a joystick. The atmosphere was enriched with background sounds of the natural environment, such as noises of cars, voices, and specific events observed during the navigation (e.g., joggers in Place Saint Michel) or interactions with human avatars (e.g., a girl holding out a teddy bear). The participants navigated each half of the VE in two different experimental conditions (in a counterbalanced order). In the self-perspective condition, participants directly experienced events and interactions with avatars in the environment. In the other-perspective condition, they followed an independent virtual human (i.e., an avatar) who walked through the virtual environment and experienced events and interactions with other avatars (i.e., an avatar whose route did not follow the same path as that of the participants). In this condition, the participants had to decenter themselves and adopt the avatar's perspective instead of their self-perspective ("put yourself mentally in the avatar's shoes"). After navigation, they had to recall as many specific events as possible, indicating each event's spatiotemporal context, perceptual details, and subjective feelings. The condition by group ANOVA results showed fewer recalls in UHR and SCZ patients compared to healthy controls. Besides, healthy controls remembered better from the self-perspective than from the other perspective, while there was no difference between the two conditions in UHR and SCZ. The findings suggested that the self-reference effect is inefficient in patients from the prodromal phase. Thus, we argue that stimulating self-reference in VR could hold great promise for extending neuropsychological research to pave the way toward developing remediation methods based on self-reference to support the self and cognitive skills in daily life.

ABSTRACT. Mind wandering (MW) occurs when our attention spontaneously shifts from the on-going task to our inner thoughts as a spontaneous mental time travel. This cognitive state has recently received great scientific interest as it occupies between 30 % and 50 % of our waking mental activity. MW can be past-oriented when it concerns re-encoding old information and autobiographical memories but is more frequently future-oriented. Prospective memory is future-oriented and refers to remembering to execute planned actions in the future after a variable interval occupied by an on-going activity. It involves a retrospective component (what actions to do) and a prospective one (where or when to do the actions). The objective of this study was to investigate the causal link between MW and prospective memory in a real-life context. More specifically, we tested the differentiated impact of past or future thinking in MW during the retention interval on prospective memory performances in a virtual reality setting to be closer to real-life situations. Therefore, we asked sixty participants to learn a list of actions to perform (i.e., intentions) and recalled them during an immersive virtual walk in a large city inspired by a Parisian look at specific places and times. During the retention interval after the encoding of planned intentions, participants were randomly assigned to a high or a low cognitive load (CL) condition to manipulate MW frequency. The prospective memory task consisted of a twenty-minute navigation in the virtual city where participants had to carry out the planned intentions during their walk and interactions with avatars while listening to a podcast and receiving virtual SMS messages to resemble the complexity of on-going activities in real-life. The main findings indicated that a high MW frequency was linked with better global prospective memory performances during the virtual walk. However, spontaneous past-oriented MW predicted better recall of the content of intentions, while spontaneous future-oriented MW predicted their realization at the correct places. For the first time, we highlighted a different impact of MW temporal orientation depending on the prospective memory component (retrospective or prospective). These findings highlighted a different impact of spontaneous mental temporal orientation depending on the prospective memory component. Thus, we discussed that past‐oriented MW is crucial for (re)consolidating programmed intentions while future-oriented one is for planning and executing future actions. This new virtual reality application will allow the development of an innovative method for rehabilitating memory and prospection in real-life.

ABSTRACT. Time is at the core of the concept of episodic memory since it allows us to maintain over timespans the possibility of retrieving in the present information perceived in the past. The episodic memories of personal experiences situated in their original spatiotemporal context and phenomenal details ground our sense of identity, self-awareness and subjective temporal continuity. Not only is time travel the ability to project oneself backward to relive personal past experiences mentally but also forward in time to anticipate and pre-live possible future experiences. Mental time travel disorders significantly limit autonomy in everyday life activities. Thus, a better understanding via ecological assessments using virtual reality is particularly timely for psychological research, including neuropsychology. This symposium will present how immersive virtual reality allows innovative testing of specific types of memory concerned with objective and subjective time dimensions, namely episodic memory and episodic autobiographical memory, as well as prospective memory and episodic future thinking. For the first time, we will present four studies approved by an ethics committee and submitted for international publication. Sylvain Penaud will show how bodily self-consciousness (BSC) influences episodic memory encoding and remembering via mental time travel. He will present the effect of visuomotor feedback to induce body illusion over a personalized avatar seen from a first-person perspective. BSC (self-identification, self-location, agency) and sense of presence were investigated using explicit and implicit tasks after each navigation, as well as participants' event memory for factual and contextual information (What, Where, When and binding), sense of remembering, and memory phenomenology using a free recall test and a recognition test both immediately and after a ten-day delay. Diane Lenormand will examine what predicts long-lasting episodic autobiographical memory using an immersive walk in a virtual city where participants either witnessed or interacted with 30 events with various emotional valences (positive, neutral, or negative) and carried physiological sensors. All participants have taken a surprise memory test after a one-month delay. A sub-group of participants has taken additionally two other memory tests, one after encoding and one a week after encoding, to assess the role of memory re-activation during the retention delay. Benjamin Lesur will demonstrate, using a new virtual reality tool, the interaction between recent episodic memory and induction of mental time travel into either the past or the future immersing participants in virtual streets with advertising billboards presenting various events that have occurred (in the past, 2020) or could potentially happen (in the future, 2024). He tested that memories of new events are reduced when they compete with episodic autobiographical memories or episodic future thinking. Pascale Piolino will investigate how the direction of spontaneous mental time travel during mind wandering may affect prospective memory tested in a virtual ecological setting. She will present the differential impact of past and future spontaneous mental travel during a retention phase raising high or low mind wandering frequency on the performance of remembering to execute planned actions during an immersive virtual walk in a town at specific places and times. The symposium will also emphasize the interest of these findings to innovate new methods for rehabilitating memory and mental time travel in real-life.

The role of bodily self-consciousness in episodic memory of naturalistic events: An immersive virtual reality study. Sylvain Penaud; Exploration of episodic autobiographical memory formation using virtual reality: what becomes of experienced events with different emotions and implications of the self in memory? Diane Lenormand; Virtual reality to test the constructive episodic simulation hypothesis of the mental time travel into the future. Benjamin Lesur; The time travel of prospective memory intentions when the mind wanders: new insight from a virtual walk. Pascale Piolino.

ABSTRACT. One of the main objectives of clinical neuropsychology is to be able to support and relieve patients with cognitive function disorders by offering objective and sensitive methods to assess and understand the functional difficulties encountered by these people in daily life. However, the classic assessment tools are often far removed from real-life situations. They may lack the sensitivity to detect the first symptoms early on or estimate the difficulties in real life. Virtual Reality (VR) is a tool increasingly used in neuropsychology because it makes it possible to create situations close to daily life, self-relevant and motivating for patients while maintaining high experimental control, even if the level of immersion and interaction of the virtual environments used in neuropsychology is still very varied, ranging from the use of computer screens and joysticks to head-mounted displays and sophisticated and embodied sensorimotor interfaces (e.g., movements of walking, incarnation of own avatar). Hence, the interest in VR in neuropsychology is principally in the ecological dimension, the great flexibility, and the fact that it can consider the role of the self in cognition. Through its multisensory and interactive aspect, VR makes it possible to simulate natural and familiar situations close to those experienced by patients in everyday life (e.g., acting in social situations, walking around a city and finding where you parked your car, remembering planned actions to execute at a specific time or place, doing shopping at the supermarket etc.) by mobilizing a wide range of their cognitive abilities guaranteeing the realism of the behaviour. It is noteworthy that the behaviours thus evaluated in VR can predict the personal and social difficulties of the patients and that the VR training is better transferred to the activities of daily life. This symposium will gather four lectures illustrating, using different immersive degrees of virtual reality in realistic urban environments, the assessment of cognitive skills in neurologic or psychiatric patients and the effect of a training program in elderlies. Eva-Flore Msika will present a new tool to assess social cognition which was validated in healthy controls and applied in traumatic brain injury. Pascale Piolino will present an experiment to assess in a virtual environment existence of the robust self-referential effect in memory encoding of the neurotypical population in patients with ultra-high-risk psychosis and schizophrenia. Delphine Yeh will show whether the body self-consciousness is preserved or impaired in patients with a first episode of psychosis. Finally, Dana Ladon-Evans will present validation of a new tablet-based virtual reality training program in healthy elderlies before it is proposed for early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. 1/ Multidimensional assessment of social cognition in severe traumatic brain injury: a pilot study using a non-immersive virtual reality serious game Eva-Flore Msika, Nathalie Ehrlé, Alexandre Gaston-Bellegarde, Eric Orriols, Pascale Piolino, Pauline Narme 2/Assessment of the self-reference effect at encoding in a naturalistic context: A study in people at ultra-high risk of psychosis and in schizophrenia during a virtual walk in the Latin Quarter of Paris Pascale Piolino, Célia Jantac, Sylvain Penaud, Eric Orriols, Alain Berthoz, Marie-Odile Krebs 3/ An immersive virtual reality study of the modulation of episodic memory of naturalistic events by the minimal Self in patients with a first episode of psychosis Delphine Yeh, Sylvain Penaud, Linda Scoriels, Marie-Odile Krebs, Pascale Piolino 4/ REVALZ: A new tablet-based virtual reality game to train cognitive skills in everyday life and application in seniors Dana Ladon-Evans, Valentina La Corte, Alexandre Gaston-Bellegarde, Pascale Piolino

ABSTRACT. Virtual Reality (VR) changed the ways through which art is produced and also experienced by the audience. VR can convey effective emotional and aesthetic experiences thanks to the sense of presence. So far, previous studies have mostly focused on cognitive implications of using virtual environments in aesthetic contexts. However, empirical studies testing whether and how immersion, sense of presence and engagement are able to emphasize emotional responses to artworks, compared to their simple 2D reproductions, are still scarce. In this study, we tested a new immersive aesthetic format of conventional 2D paintings consisting in a 360° spherical representation of the same paintings, enriched with narratives and music. This preliminary study aims at testing the role of immersion and sense of presence in promoting aesthetic emotions, in terms of aesthetic appreciation and emotional responses. To test this objective, in a within subject-design, each participant is exposed in a counterbalanced order to the new aesthetic format consisting of a set of virtual highly immersive paintings presented in a 360° environment (immersive condition) and to the same set of virtual paintings presented on a simple 2D virtual screen (non-immersive condition). Aesthetic emotions were measured through the AESTHEMOS scale containing 21 subscales covering prototypical aesthetic emotions, epistemic emotions and emotions indicative of amusement. Also, measures related to immersion, sense of presence, engagement and perceived novelty of the stimuli were assessed. Finally, self-report questionnaires measuring people’s broader engagement with the arts and humanities, disposition to experience positive emotions and general aesthetic interest were administered to participants. For this preliminary study, we expected artworks to be judged more aesthetically pleasant and emotionally engaged compared to the same set of non-immersive stimuli, presented on a 2D screen. Moreover, we hypothesize immersion, sense of presence and engagement to positively correlate with higher aesthetic appreciation of those stimuli.

ABSTRACT. Introduction In current years, psychological web-based interventions had been increasingly used in the context of mental health and well-being. These approaches offer great pros in terms of cost and time-saving benefits and the possibility of reaching persons remotely. Usually, such interventions make use of techniques and exercises taken from cognitive behavioural approaches, which are traditionally carried out in a vis-à-vis setting. However, some relevant differences emerge in applying the same techniques remotely or in person, namely the presence of the therapist, the familiarity of the setting, and the possibility for the therapist to adjust the technique and for the patients to interact with his/her therapist and provide feedback. One of the approaches that often yield good results in treating anxiety and stress issues, is the mental imagery approach. The current pilot study aims to preliminary assess the feasibility and the subjective experience of a fully automated web-based mental imagery experience, delivered through a digital platform. Material and Methods An estimated sample of 30 healthy volunteers will be enrolled in this feasibility study. The study will be conducted according to the Declaration of Helsinki and participants will be informed of the aims of the research and will be asked to express informed written consent. Subjects will receive a link with a Qualtrics survey and will be asked to listen to a pre-registered audio clip with a mental imagery technique on stress reduction. The audio clip was pre-tested on three healthy volunteers to assess the clarity of the instructions and checked by two trained psychotherapists. The online survey will contain the module of informed written consent, and an ad hoc survey assessing socio-demographical variables and self-reported questionnaires on trait anxiety (State Trait Anxiety Inventory) before the audio clip, emotional state (Self-Assessment Manikin) before and after the technique, and, at the end of the survey, the sense of presence (ITC-Sense of presence inventory) experienced. Finally, participants will also be asked to answer three open-ended questions to describe their imaginative experience and give suggestions to modify the technique. The time duration for the online survey and the audio clip is approximately 15 minutes. Results Data collection is ongoing. We expect participants to experience a pleasant emotional state, a reduction of the arousal levels and an enhanced perception of control over the emotional state after the technique. We also expect participants to report a fair level of sense of presence during the imaginative technique. Conclusion Results will inform the construction of web-based interventions featuring effective mental imagery techniques with fully automated instructions. Such techniques will be feasible for mental health interventions targeting anxiety and stress in clinical samples and the general population.

ABSTRACT. Introduction. Bereavement process is defined as a painful response following the loss of a loved one. Grief response is unique for each individual and the related symptomatology tends to decrease over time. However, in approximately 10% of cases, grieving people develop Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD). Although Evidence-based Psychological Treatments for PGD are now available, there is a problem of accessibility to these interventions. To overcome this limitation the use of internet-related interventions could be a suitable option. Previous studies with PGD patients seem to indicate that these interventions can reduce grief-related symptomatology in a similar way to traditional face-to-face treatments. The aim of this study is to explore the feasibility of GROw, a novel Internet-based CBT treatment for PGD in comparison to the same intervention delivered in face-to-face videoconferencing format. Method. The study consisted of a randomized feasibility trial with two arms: (1) an experimental group receiving an Internet-based CBT treatment for PGD (GROw) and (2) an active control group receiving the same intervention delivered in face-to-face videoconferencing format. This study was approved by the Ethical Committee of the Universitat Jaume I (Castellón, Spain) (06 March 2019) (file number CD/002/2019) and registered on the clinicaltrials.gov database (NCT04462146, 8 July 2020). A total of 31 participants (29 female and 2 male) with a mean age of 39.13 (SD = 12.57) and diagnosed with PGD were randomly assigned to the different treatment conditions. Specifically, 16 participants were assigned to the experimental group and 15 to the active control group. The web-platform was an individual self-applied program that included videos, texts, audios, photos, downloadable pdfs, customised graphics and review questions on treatment content. The treatment components were based on CBT with the addition of mindfulness and compassion exercises. Assessment instruments included feasibility measures such as preferences, expectations and satisfaction with each intervention format, a qualitative interview about the opinion of the treatment and the adherence rates. In this study pre-post treatment data will be presented.

Results. Both treatment formats, the internet-based intervention and the face-to-face videoconference intervention, were well-accepted by most participants. However, in terms of participants’ preferences before the intervention, the majority chose the videoconference format, whereas at the end of the treatment, 80% of the participants who finished the GROw treatment preferred GROw to the face-to-face videoconference intervention. Overall, both conditions showed high scores related to the expectations (at pre-treatment) and satisfaction (at post-treatment) with the intervention. However, statistically significant differences were found between the groups related to the logic of the intervention (higher scores in the videoconferencing group) and the recommendation of the treatment to other people (higher scores in the GROw group) at pre-treatment. There were no significant differences in the post-treatment satisfaction variables. In both conditions the treatment components were rated as useful. The dropout rate was 50% in the experimental group and 33.33% in the active control group. Conclusion. GROw, a novel Internet-based CBT intervention for PGD was a feasible well-accepted treatment for adults with PGD. However, the dropout rate in the experimental group was high. These results support scaling up the treatment using complex designs (i.e., randomized clinical trials) and larger samples. The data obtained contribute to help people with PGD in need of treatment to easily access an evidence-based intervention.

ABSTRACT. Background: Recent reviews show promising results for a variety of different VR-based methodologies seeking to support wellbeing. However, there are gaps in our understanding of how the VR experience itself enacts change in the user. In short, what features of the VR experience matter for bringing about change in wellbeing outcomes. While features such as nature and activities such as mindfulness and relaxation are widely used at present, their efficacy compared to alternatives are underexplored. This study tested some aspects typically found in VR wellbeing studies, which focus on the power of VR-based nature against an alternative protocol which sought to encourage connection with personal identity and self through introducing meaning into the VR experience. The present study aimed to examine the impact of VR environment setting (nature vs. urban) and the personal meaning of the environment (meaningful vs. not meaningful) on participants’ emotion responses.

Method: Procedure: A 2 x 2 within-subjects design was used. Participants experienced four different VR scenarios (e.g. nature + meaningful; urban + not meaningful etc…) in counterbalanced order. Google Earth VR (GEVR) was used to present each of these conditions. GEVR allows participants to freely roam around a VR version of a real world location. In each condition, three separate locations were visited by the participant for 3 minutes each. In meaningful conditions, participants were asked to ‘think of a place that has meaning to you that you would like to visit now’. In comparison in the non-meaningful location, participants experienced three experimenter chosen locations in either a nature or urban setting. Participants completed measures of emotion response at baseline and following each condition. Participants: The final sample contained 35 participants (18 FM, 16 M, 1 N/A; age M = 28.13, SD = 9.64). Measures: Emotion response was measured using the Discrete Emotions Scale (DEQ) which has subscales for 3 positive (desire, happiness and relaxation) and 5 negative (fear, anger, disgust, anxiety, sadness) emotions. Total positive emotions and total negative emotions subscales scores were calculated by adding scores for all positive and all negative emotion subscales respectively.

Results: A main effect of personal meaning was observed whereby interacting with personally meaningful locations in VR increased positive emotion responses compared to non-meaningful ones, irrespective of the setting. Sadness, desire and happiness all increased in meaningful conditions, while fear decreased. There were no main effects of setting or interaction effects.

Conclusion This study demonstrated that specific aspects of the VR experience can be manipulated and have a differential impact on emotion response. Contrary to previous research, nature stimuli did not impact emotion response. Adding an element of personal meaning to the VR experience was associated with a change in emotion response, irrespective of setting. Specifically greater total positive emotions without any change in total negative emotions. The increase of sadness, desire and happiness together may suggest a nostalgia response to the meaningful locations. Limitations: The absence of nature sounds, dynamic nature stimuli and a differential level of freedom of movement in nature compared to urban settings in GEVR may explain the lack of impact of nature exposure. The meaningful locations were selected for their meaning to the individual, but the design of the study did not allow whether the VR experience was in itself meaningful to be measured. A second study is currently underway to examine whether the differential effectiveness of meaning compared to more common nature experiences is maintained when these limitations are addressed. Nevertheless, the current results suggest that introducing personal meaning into VR experiences may have utility and warrants further investigation.

ABSTRACT. Introduction. Digital screen media use has significantly grown at an increasingly young age, and in all age groups including toddlers, pre-schoolers, and primary school children under 10 years old. There is evidence that excessive early childhood media exposure can lead to several negative outcomes, however the impact of digital screen use on children of different age has not been sufficiently highlighted. Moreover, theoretical and empirical studies have focused on different problematic online behaviors (e.g. Internet, gaming, social network sites, etc.) or digital devices use (e.g. smartphone), especially in adolescence and young adulthood. Only little insights on younger children’ Problematic Media Use (PMU) have been provided, which has been defined as an excessive screen media use that compromises social, behavioral, and/or academic functioning of the child. Therefore, the aim of the present systematic review is to identify (i) the risk and protective factors, at both individual and contextual level, which might increase or reduce children’s PMU, (ii) the negative outcomes associated with children’s PMU, and (iii) the main instruments used to measure children’s PMU across different studies. Methods. This study was conducted following the systematic review guidelines proposed in PRISMA statement. Studies were included only if they met the following eligibility criteria: (i) quantitative research, (ii) year of publication between 2012-2022, (iii) English or Italian full-text article, (iv) sample’s mean age between 0 and 10 years old, and (v) focus on problematic online behaviors or digital devices use. Literature search was performed across the following electronic databases: Scopus, Web of Science, PsycInfo, and PubMed. All eligible studies were assessed for a risk of bias with the QualSyst tool for evaluating quantitative or qualitative studies. Results. A total of 34 studies were finally included in this literature review. Most of the selected studies were published in 2021 and carried out in Eastern countries. Gaming addiction was the most explored problematic behavior in childhood. Using media more than 2 hours a day, male gender and higher age significantly increased the risk of developing PMU among children. PMU led to several negative consequences for children’s development and well-being (e.g., more problematic behaviors, sleep problems, higher depressive symptoms, lower emotional intelligence, and academic achievements). Both individual and contextual risk factors can increase children’s PMU. Therefore, children who experienced negative psychological symptoms (e.g., internalizing and externalizing symptoms, depressive symptoms, anxiety, emotional dysregulation, executive functions problems, autistic traits, sensation seeking, ADHD symptoms, PTSD symptoms, and pre-existing high levels of PMU), dysfunctional family environment and parent-child relationship (e.g., maternal depressive symptoms, authoritarian and permissive parenting styles, inconsistent parenting practices, restrictive parental mediation applied in a more controlling style, etc.), and lower school functioning were more prone to develop PMU. Concerning the protective factors, authoritative parenting style and restrictive parental mediation were significantly associated with lower PMU among children. Finally, both parent and child-report instruments were used to assess children’s PMU. However, self-report measures specifically designed to get younger children perspective are still few and not so widely used. Conclusions. This study demonstrated that this research field is still in its infancy and needs further investigation. Overall, both individual and contextual factors can increase or decrease the risk of developing PMU among children. Likely, dysfunctional family system can lead children to experience emotional distress and negative psychological symptoms, which they try to menage by escaping into the virtual world, thus increasing the risk of developing PMU. As the children’s PMU is closely influenced by the quality of family environment and parent-child relationship, future prevention interventions should target both children and their parents to improve their self-regulatory and mentalizing capabilities, as well as parental mediation strategies and general parenting practices.

ABSTRACT. In the last decades, a growing body of evidence has suggested the role of sensorimotor information in successful spatial memory encoding and retrieval. Nonetheless, the role of body-related cues in the formation of spatial maps in humans is still under debate, for both theoretical and methodological reasons, and much research remains to be carried out in this field. The present study aims at investigating how individuals encode the spatial location of stimuli representing body parts and whether the perspective from which the body part is displayed impacts spatial memory. To this purpose, we exploited the capabilities of immersive virtual reality, which allowed us to design two different memory tasks, one targeting egocentric spatial memory and the other one targeting allocentric spatial memory. Thirty healthy adults participated in the study. The virtual environment was designed as a museum comprising four different buildings. The starting point was the middle point so that each building was located at one of the four cardinal points with reference to the user’s head. Each museum building was designed as a squared room, with two paintings hung up on each of the walls (8 paintings in total for each building). Overall, the stimuli were 32, all representing pictures of right hands in different positions. All the positions displayed were meaningless gestures (symbolic and iconic gestures were purposedly excluded to avoid possible semantic associations that could help memorization). Half of the stimuli depicted the hand in the first-person perspective (i.e., the position was compatible with the participant’s hand), and half of the stimuli depicted the hand in the third-person perspective (i.e. the position of the hand was not compatible with that of the participant, but the hand could be attributed to someone else in front of her). During the experiment, participants wore a head-mounted display and briefly familiarize themselves with the environment. After this first phase, the encoding condition began, whereby the participants were instructed to enter one of the buildings at a time and to freely explore the pictures included, with the aim to recall the picture positions for a later memory test. The free exploration lasted 4 minutes in total, 1 minute for each building. Afterward, the guided exploration started. In this phase, the pictures were randomly presented one at a time and the task for the participant was to find the correct picture location within the different buildings. Once the location was found, the next stimulus was presented. Both free and guided explorations served as encoding conditions. Immediately after that, the memory recall task was administered. It was split into two different tasks. Indeed, for each of the presented stimuli, an allocentric memory task and an egocentric memory task were carried out. In the allocentric task, the participants were asked to indicate in which of the 4 buildings the picture was located. In the egocentric task, they were asked to indicate on which of the 4 walls within the room the picture was hung up. We predict better spatial memory performance for stimuli depicted from the first-person point of view, at least during the egocentric memory task, suggesting that possibly a mechanism of simulation is responsible for body-related stimuli encoding. The results of the present study could inform how to design optimal experiences in the Metaverse and in immersive virtual reality, especially for educational purposes.

ABSTRACT. Adjustment Disorder (AJD) is defined as a set of negative emotional and behavioral reactions that appear after a stressful life event or facing adversity (APA, 2013). Common classification systems like DSM 5 and ICD-10 have been criticized due to the inaccuracy of the symptoms in terms of number, duration, and combination. This makes it difficult to differentiate between AJD and other common disorders such as depression one. Also, in these systems, there is no clear distinction between a normal and maladaptive emotional response to the experience of a stressor (Bachem & Casey, 2018). To address these limitations ICD-11 (WHO,2018) removes AJD from a subclinical status to a complete diagnosis with delimited diagnostic criteria. Main change in this classification is the identification of two core symptoms: (1) worry about the stressor and its consequences and (2) failure to adapt. There is a significant lack of standardized measures to assess AJD. The New Module for the Measurement of Adjustment Disorder (ADNM-20; Einsle et al., 2010; Glaesmer et al., 2015) is a German self-report questionnaire, based on the diagnostic criteria recently proposed by the ICD-11 which contemplates two central symptoms: worry and failure to adapt and four accessory symptoms: anxiety, depression, avoidance, and impulsivity. It is composed of 20 items and is divided into two sections, first one presents a list of 18 stressors that collect a wide range of acute and chronic life events in the last two years, and the second part assesses the frequency and duration of symptoms in response to stressful events on a Likert-type scale ranging from 1 (never) to 4 (often) and < 1 month, 1 to 6 months and 6 months to 2 years, respectively. Despite research has shown its adequate psychometric properties, there is still no solid evidence of its dimensionality (Einsle et al., 2010). Aim: To carry out the validation of the ADNM-20 in Mexican socio-cultural context in general population. Method: ADNM-20 was translated into Spanish and submitted to a judgment of seven experts who provided suggestions about the linguistic relevance of the items, the corrections were carried out until a culturally adapted version was obtained, 285 people between 18 and 70 years answered a digital survey composed of the adaptation Mexican ADNM-20, the Checkable List of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder for the DSM-5, it was used to assess convergent validity and The Abbreviated Multidimensional Scale of Coping Styles, to assess discriminant validity. Results: 77% of the sample were female, vast majority were single (60%) and currently worked (45%). Main stressors informed by participants were the illness of a loved one and family problems (59%), overwork/low workload (57.4%), financial problems (53.7%), pressure for deadlines (49.8%), and death of a loved one (47%). Following algorithm proposed by Lorenz et al. (2016) to identify people at high risk for an AJD diagnosis, about 52% of the population were at high risk. Exploratory factorial analysis suggested the structure of a single factor composed of 14 items that was confirmed after a confirmatory factorial analysis. Internal consistency index was adequate (α=.937), discriminant validity measures showed moderate to high negative correlations with active coping (problem-focused coping) and coping through social support (emotion-focused coping). Scale invariance was showed when comparing different restriction models according to two age groups: young (18-30 years old) and old adults (31-60 years old). Conclusions: The results suggest that in Mexican population the adjustment disorder is reflected as a single entity represented on a one-dimensional scale, with several reduced questions and with adequate psychometric properties.

ABSTRACT. The objective of this evidence map is to provide an overview of the use of Metaverse for Mental Health Care. Concretely, the purpose of this study was to review the scientific literature of those studies involving Metaverse and mental health care, to answer the following question: What kind of Metaverse-based treatments/protocols have been used for improving mental health care? We conducted a systematic review of the peer-reviewed literature from EBSCO, Ovid, PubMed, Scopus y WOS (Web of Science), following the PRISMA statements and using “Metaverse" as keywords on December 1st, 2022. Those studies published between 2012 to 2022, in English or Spanish language were reviewed. A total of 1,644 records were retrieved, and only 23 publications met the inclusion criteria. Of those, only 23 studies were finally included: 7 records were empirical studies, 1 systematic review, 1 study protocol, and 14 no empirical studies. Metaverse-based protocols used were varied, as well as topic addressed. Results will be useful to develop innovative Metaverse strategies to improve mental health care, due to the lack of empirical studies focused on this area. More information is needed to evaluate the role of Metaverse technology in clinical care and, more specifically, in mental health care.

ABSTRACT. Background Stress is a well-established factor in the course burnout and psychiatric disorders. Relaxation can be effective for reducing stress and psychiatric symptoms and improving daily life functioning. However, relaxation exercises require more mental effort then many patients can generate. Therefore, a relaxing tool that uses virtual reality (VR) called VRelax was developed. VR relaxation has strong immersive properties and requires less mental effort. VRelax seems to create immediate improvements in affective states among patients with a psychiatric disorder and in working populations1,2. However, the effect of VR relaxation on physiological stress, especially in daily life, has not yet been investigated. These results are foundational to implement biofeedback into VR relaxation and to explore the option of using bio-cueing.

Aim The first aim was to investigate the effectiveness of adding VRelax to treatment as usual compared to using standard relaxation exercises on perceived stress. The second aim was to investigate the effect of VRelax compared to standard relaxation exercises on 1) on physiological stress markers in a laboratory setting and 2) in daily life as measured with wearables.

Method A multicentre single-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted in patients receiving ambulatory treatment for burnout, anxiety, depressive, bipolar or psychotic disorder. Participants were randomly assigned to either VRelax or standard relaxation exercises and instructed to use either VRelax or standard relaxation exercises for at least 20 minutes, minimally five days a week, for six weeks at home. Assessments were performed at baseline, 6-week follow-up, 26-week follow-up and 52-week follow-up. Socio-demographic variables, perceived stress using the perceived stress scale (PSS) and physiological stress measures (laboratory and ambulatory) were collected. Laboratory measurements of stress-physiology were performed at baseline and at 6-week follow-up. ECG and GSR data was collected while participants used VRelax for 10-minutes. Ambulatory measurements were performed in both groups during the first and last week of the intervention period. During this period, participants wore the Empatica E4 during the day to record validated HRV parameters during one week (i.e., HR, RMSSD, SDNN).

Results Inclusion is ongoing, currently 29 participants have been included and randomly assigned, 15 to the VRelax group and 14 to the standard relaxation exercises group. The majority were women (24 of 29, 83%) and on average the age was 44.9 (SD = 14.29). Preliminary results show a mean score on the PSS was 20.2 (SD = 3.30) at T0 and 19.4 (SD = 3.88) at T1 in the VRelax group. Mean score on the PSS was 20.9 (SD = 3.90) at T0 and 17.9 (SD = 4.48) at T1 for the standard relaxation exercises group. We expect to include 75 patients before July and the planned total number of participants of this study will be 171. More data on perceived and physiological stress will be presented in July 2023.

Conclusion This study focuses on the effect of VRelax on perceived stress and physiological stress markers (laboratory and ambulatory). At this point it is too early to draw conclusion, but the data will show whether VRelax can be an efficient self-management tool for patients with burnout and psychiatric disorder. In addition, the results of this study form the foundation for further exploration of biofeedback and bio-cueing options in VR relaxation.

References 1.Nijland, J. M., Veling, W., Lestestuiver, B. P., & Van Driel, C. M. (2021). Virtual reality relaxation for reducing perceived stress of intensive care nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 706527. 2.Veling, W., Lestestuiver, B., Jongma, M., Hoenders, H. R., & van Driel, C. (2021). Virtual Reality Relaxation for Patients With a Psychiatric Disorder: Crossover Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 23(1), e17233.

ABSTRACT. Context: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) can significantly impact patient’s life, leading to potentially dramatic outcomes such as suicide. Additionally, MDD can also result in significant economic costs for families and governments. One of the most effective and rapid treatment for MDD is Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT). However, cognitive adverse effects remain a great risk among patients undergoing ECT. These side effects are robustly tied to the dosage of the electric stimulus given to the patient. Two methods are currently used to determine an accurate dosage : the age-based method and the titration method. Furthermore electroencephalograms (EEG) are made during an ECT session, to assess the adequacy of the treatment. Therefore, Artificial Intelligence (AI) could offer a third way, by analyzing the EEG before the shock is administrated (called the pre-ictal EEG), using deep learning algorithms, to determine the adequate dosage of the electric stimulus needed.

Method: Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) is a technique used to decompose signals, including EEG signals, into their frequency components. By applying FFT to an EEG signal, we are able to understand the signal in terms of its different frequencies, rather than just looking at it as a time series. Each EEG signal can be thought of as a stack of multiple decomposed signals, typically covering the frequency range from 1 to 100 Hz. Once the EEG signal has been decomposed using FFT, we fed them into the our Fuzzy Causal Effect Variational Auto Encoder (FCEVAE) deep learning algorithm. The FCEVAE allows us to quantify the degree to which different frequency components of the EEG signal are contributing to the final ECT output. This is represented by a value known as the probability, which ranges from 0 to 1. For example, if the oscillations of the 10th and 14th components of a pre-ictal EEG have a 90% contribution to the final ECT output, the FCEVAE output would be w_(10, 14) = 0.9. In summary, the use of FFT in combination with FCEVAE is a powerful tool for analyzing EEG signals, allowing us to decompose the signals into their frequency components and quantify the degree to which different frequency components are contributing to the final output. We implemented an FCEVAE model to identify patterns in patients' pre-ictal EEGs that lead to positive or negative outcomes of the ECT session. These outcomes were determined by the clinician in charge of the ECT session, based on the EEG assessment. A total of 470 pre-ictal EEGs were collected. Out of these, 350 were used to train the FCEVAE model, while 120 were reserved for testing.

Results: The FCEVAE is capable of revealing the causal patterns within the pre-ictal EEG that contribute to achieve ECT positive outcomes. Also, it can predict individualized ECT dosage based on patient’s pre-ictal EEG. The FCEVAE model had an overall accuracy of 90.33%, as measured by the root mean square measure.

Conclusions: The FCEVAE seems to be a powerful tool for analyzing pre-ictal EEG and providing valuable insights into the causal patterns that contribute to achieve positive ECT outcomes. Moreover, the FCEVAE model is actually able to predict individualized ECT doses based on pre-ictal EEG with an overall accuracy of 90.33%. The use of FCEVAE seems promising in the field of EEG analysis and ECT, although further research is needed to optimize the model and its clinical applications.

ABSTRACT. Background and Objectives: PTSD and mTBI are persistent and frequently comorbid in the military community, yet current therapies often achieve only modest impact. Motion-assisted, Multi-modular Memory Desensitization and Reconsolidation (3MDR) is a novel treatment for PTSD featuring participant-selected music and pictures and an eye movement (EM) task in an immersive virtual environment utilizing the Computer Assisted Rehabilitation Environment (CAREN). The EM task is adapted from eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, but dismantling studies of EMDR have questioned EM benefit. The purpose of this pilot study is: 1) obtain an initial estimate of the efficacy of 3MDR in service members with comorbid PTSD and mTBI, and 2) determine the impact of the EM component of EMDR on treatment response. We hypothesize that 3MDR will significantly improve symptom severity, both with (EM+) and without EM (EM-).

Methods: Participants with probable PTSD (PCL-5 ≥ 34) and mTBI were randomized to EM+ or EM- across 10 sessions. Participants selected music and pictures representative of their trauma(s) and rated them on their level of emotional intensity. The images were used as the participant walked on the CAREN’s treadmill through the 3MDR virtual environment. While walking in the 3MDR virtual environment, participants started with a song to bring them back to the time of their trauma, and then traversed two hallways, actively walking toward emotionally evocative pictures that they then discussed with their therapist. The therapist queries about associated memories and emotions, while keywords are superimposed over the picture. EM+ participants see a ball with numbers cross the screen and recite the numbers. EM- participants continue walking toward the picture. This is repeated for up to seven pictures each session. Change in PCL-5 score from pre- to post-intervention was the primary outcome, with additional measures at 3 and 6 months.

Results: 20 enrolled participants (50% female; mean age 45) of whom 16 completed the intervention (8 EM+, 8 EM-); 9 (6 EM+, 3 EM-). 9 had resolution of their PTSD diagnosis, 2 had significant improvement in symptom severity without resolution, and 5 did not achieve significantly reduced symptom severity. The average PCL-5 score of those who completed the intervention, declined from 52.0 at baseline to 33.6 post-intervention (p< 0.01), which is a highly clinically significant improvement. Those in the EM+ achieved statistically significant improvement (p=0.01) while those in the EM- group did not (p=0.10), but the numbers are small in each group. The improvements observed in completers at the end of the intervention were largely sustained at the 3- and 6-month follow-up assessments, with average PCL-5 scores of 37.0 and 36.0 respectively. All 4 who withdrew from the study did so prior to starting in the CAREN, 3 of them because of COVID-related interruption of the study.

Conclusions: For veterans with PTSD and comorbid mTBI, 3MDR is effective and the EM component may add value. Participants were thoroughly engaged and invested throughout the intervention; allowing them to choose pictures and music to incorporate into the virtual environment represents personal investment, making withdrawal far less common than for other PTSD interventions. Further study is warranted to confirm these results. This pilot study is thus a catalyst for our currently approved follow up study, CARE4PTSD. This follow up study will further examine the impact of 3MDR on a larger scale to corroborate the reported results and include a CAPS-5 diagnostic assessment for PTSD. Most significantly, CARE4PTSD will evaluate the efficacy of the Microsoft Hololens head-mounted display and a conventional treadmill as a more cost-effective method of delivery for 3MDR, compared to the million-dollar CAREN.

ABSTRACT. Background: Globally, around 280 million people are affected by depression, and it will become the leading cause of disease burden by 2030. Hence, to answer this increasing demand, psychologists may face work overload in a working day and have reduced work efficiency. On the other hand, artificial intelligence has shown promising performance in various domains such as facial expression recognition (FER), human pose estimation, and speech and text analysis which has encouraged many computer scientists to investigate Automatic Depression Estimation (ADE) systems. Such systems can be employed as a modern routine outcome measurement for psychologists and aid them as diagnostic tools. Current ADE methods primarily leverage Deep Neural Networks (DNN) to map the input data (video, image, audio, text, …) to depression severity scores such as Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD), etc. While improvements have been made in this area, there are still some weaknesses in current methods: the lack of interdisciplinary collaborations with related fields for the task of depression detection, and the black-box nature of DNNs which hinder the reasons behind their predictions. Therefore, we take steps to address these deficiencies in our work.

Objective: This work aims to involve psychologists as domain experts in the development of an ADE system from an early stage so that their insights and expectations could be incorporated into the system’s design. As a result, we will be able to develop a transparent deep-learning-based ADE system that focuses on clinically-significant cues for depression severity level estimation and provide a clear explanation for its decisions. Such a system can assist psychologists in their diagnostic steps of treatment.

Methods: In order to understand how psychologists recognize depression severity levels in their daily practice, and what are their expectations as the end users of the system, we propose a two-stage approach. In the first step, we will send a questionnaire to around 20 psychologists covering the following topics: 1. The importance of different verbal and non-verbal cues for depression estimation. 2. Their evaluation of the existing questionnaires for depression severity level estimation in comparison to clinical judgment. 3. Expected explanation feedback for the output of the ADE system. In the second phase, after the collection and careful analysis of responses, we will conduct two focus groups, with around 10 psychologists in each session. In the first session, based on the responses received from the questionnaire, more fine-grained questions will be posed to achieve a clear research direction for designing an ADE system. After developing a prototype, we carry out a second session to obtain feedback on the system we have created. Therefore, instead of focusing solely on the computer science aspect, the input from psychologists will be crucial in defining the framework of ADE research.

Results: The gathered and analyzed information from the questionnaires will be published, which will provide an essential cornerstone for researchers in the field of depression estimation.

Conclusions: This work is an answer to the much-needed interdisciplinary collaboration and brings computer scientists and psychological clinicians together for the task of depression estimation. Our results will pave the way for other researchers in the field of ADE to integrate domain knowledge from psychologists into their framework. Consequently, this work can improve the future works of ADE and get closer to industrial use cases. Moreover, in our future study, we will exploit the obtained knowledge to develop explainable DNNs to estimate depression severity levels.

Acknowledgments: We would like to express our deepest gratitude to all the psychologists that will participate in the questionnaire and our co-creation sessions.

ABSTRACT. Background: This study aims to in vestigate the relationship between fear of falling, sense of presence, and physiological data in healthy individuals. Fear of falling is a common problem among older adults, people with physical impairment, and obesity which can limit their mobility and reduce their quality of life (De Albuquerque Angelo et al., 2022 & Ercan et al., 2019). Understanding the psychological and physiological mechanisms underlying this fear 1S essential to develop effective interventions to improve their mobility and well-being (Raffegeau et al., 2022). The hypotheses of this study are that fear of falling will Increase the sense of presence environments with the possibility to fall, and higher physiological activation will be associated with higher scores in fear of falling and anxiety scales. 'This study will contribute to our understanding of the relationship between fear of falling, sense of presence, and physiological data in healthy individuals and the results may have implications for the development of interventions to improve the mobility and quality of life of people with fear of falling, physical impairment, and obesity. Method: To test these hypotheses, we will recruit 30 healthy participants (15 women and 15 men) aged between 18 and 35 years old. Participants will complete series of a questionnaires to assess their levels of anxiety, including the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). They will also undergo physiological measurements, including resprration, galvanic response, and heart rate, while exposed to the virtual reality environments with and without possibility to fall. To assess fear of falling, wve will use the Falls Efficacy Scale (FEIS-I) (Yardley et al., 2005), a self-reported questionnaire designed to measure confidence in performing daily activities without falling. We will also use a platform that measures balance and changes in posture to evaluate the participants physical ability to maintain balance. The Romberg test, with eyes closed and open, will also be used to assess the participants ability to maintain balance while standing still. The statistical analysis will consist in performing a correlation test to determine the relationship between fear of falling, sense of presence, and physiological data. Additionally, a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) can be conducted to examine the effects of the virtual reality environments on physiological measures (respiration, galvanic response, and heart rate), anxiety levels, balance, and fear of falling.

ABSTRACT. Affective computing is a rapidly growing field that aims to understand human emotions through Artificial Intelligence. One of the most promising ways to achieve this goal is the use of physiological data (e.g. electrocardiogram - ECG) and Machine Learning (ML) algorithms to classify affective states. ECG correlates, such as Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and its features, are reported as viable indicators in both dimensional approaches, especially for valence, and in detecting discrete emotions. In this preliminary study, we used the ECG data from the open-source HCI Tagging Database, which includes physiological data and self-referred feedback from 30 subjects who watched videos designed to elicit different emotions. The subjects evaluated their reactions using a three-dimensional affective space defined by arousal, valence, and dominance levels and reported the emotions they felt. To classify the affective states, we trained and tested different classification algorithms on the HRV features, using as labels, each self-reported feedback (i.e., valence, arousal, dominance, and emotions). The results showed that HRV features, when combined with normalization methods and ML algorithms, were effective in recognizing emotions as experienced by individuals. In particular, the study showed that Decision Tree was the best-performing algorithm for predicting emotions based on HRV data. Additionally, an Explainable AI (XAI) model provided insights into the weight of these features in the ML discrimination phases. Overall, the study highlights the potential of HRV as a valid and unobtrusive source for detecting emotional states.

ABSTRACT. In 2020, more than 19 million people were diagnosed with cancer worldwide. Thanks to the growing success of cancer therapy and detection, survival rates of many oncological diseases have increased in the last decades, leading the number of survivors to increase over time. Relationships represent a primary starting point to improve patients’ well-being. Caregivers, and in particular partners, are indeed the most important source of support for patients, and their role is essential for the patient to successfully cope with the challenges associated with the cancer journey. Nevertheless, the complications that follow oncological treatments, such as impaired sexuality, put a strain on the patient’s relationship, posing challenges for the couple and negatively affecting coping success throughout the survivorship. The aim of this study is to develop a transformative experience to improve the well-being of couples who went through an oncological journey, by using immersive Virtual Reality (iVR). In particular, this transformative experience will guide a cancer patient’s caregiver (i.e., partner) to understand the difficulties that their significant other is experiencing, providing the opportunity to feel what they are suffering and the problems they are facing. Feeling what the other is feeling creates a bridge between the two people's experiences, facilitating not only the acceptance of these changes but also an emotional awareness of what is happening. The VR experience will employ an Embodied Perspective-Taking (EPT) paradigm, used to help the partner of a cancer survivor (i.e., the caregiver) to experience what the patient went through. Specifically, EPT will create in the participant the perceptual illusion of taking the perspective of the partner, allowing the caregiver to see through their eyes, from a first-person perspective. Once the partner is embodied in the avatar (i.e., the patient), they will experience the partner’s oncological journey, from the diagnosis to the current daily life (i.e., after the end of treatments). This experience includes multimodal stimulations, to create greater involvement in the task, and a deeper perception of being in their partner’s body. We expect that the EPT will facilitate the caregiver in the use of empathic communication toward their partner, supporting them in understanding possible complications experienced in their relationship (e.g., impaired sexuality associated with reduced self-esteem due to aesthetic outcomes of surgery). To understand if this transformative experience has an impact on the domains of interest, an assessment will be carried out before and after the experience itself, including also a follow-up to evaluate if the effect persists over time. The assessments will include in-person communication of the caregiver to the partner, and self-reported questionnaires that the patient and the partner will complete, to analyze if the experience has an impact on the partner, on the patient, and their relationship. Visually seeing the different steps of the oncological journey (i.e., scenario) while listening to what their significant other is thinking and feeling (i.e., the story telling told from a first person perspective) will provide the emotional and cognitive richness that is necessary to promote a change in the way the partner looks at their own and at their significant other’s experience: it will be possible to make accessible and understandable what is epistemically inaccessible (i.e., vicariously undergoing the experience lived by another person), with the sensory wholeness of real life experiences.

ABSTRACT. Introduction: Mobile health (mHealth) applications allow to amplify the access and quality of health services, as they can be useful tools at low cost, easy to use, interactive and personalized (Kazdin & Blase, 2011). Despite these advantages, the technologies are not exempt from problems such as the high level of dropouts, the lack of adherence, or the lack of quality checking in the content. In order to address this problem there is a need to use methodologies that allow us to understand the requirements of the targeted population. To solve this problem there is a need to consider the user experience perspective, providing them with an active role in mHealth application development. Using the potential of digital interventions, we intend to design and develop a mHealth solution to enhance mental health in clinical populations. This application will be grounded on the Dual Factor Model of wellbeing (Keyes & López, 2002), which highlights the need to directly address the mental disorder while tackling the well-being dimension at the same time, in order to fully enhance mental health. The mobile application will aim to improve well-being by assessing and dispensing positive techniques through ecological momentary assessments (EMAs) and interventions (EMIs). The main components of this intervention will be enhancing positive affect (i.e., hedonic well-being), valued living actions, and character strengths (i.e., eudaimonic well-being). The present study is aimed at analyzing the needs of the users in order to develop the mHealth application using a co-design framework. Objective: The goal of this study is to gather information on the user experience and the state of psychopathology and well-being of different clinical populations (i.e. oncological patients, emotional and adjustment disorders, gambling disorders and borderline personality disorders). Methodology: Several focus groups will be held with each of the targeted clinical populations. The level of psychopathology, well-being, and digital alphabetization will be gathered with questionnaires prior to the focus groups. The groups will be composed of 7-8 people selected from different health services that meet the criteria of seeking for therapy or already being receiving therapy and will be conducted by two researchers. We anticipate conducting multiple focus groups until data saturation is reached for each population and no additional novel information or themes arise from the focus group discussions (Morse, 2000). A structured interview with open-ended questions regarding their needs and wellbeing experiences will be asked to the participants, that will be based on the Engaged Living Scale (ELS; Trompetter et al., 2013) and Strengths use Scale (SUS; Govindji and Linley, 2007) questionnaires and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT and UTAUT-2; Venkatesh et al., 2003, 2012). Consensual Qualitative Research methodology (Hill, 2012) will be followed for the qualitative data analysis. Results: The results are still in progress. It is expected to recruit data related to the: 1) contents of the application in terms of need for improving well-being (i.e., values and strengths); and 2) constructs related to the use of the technology (i.e., performance expectancy, effort expectancy, facilitating conditions, etc). Moreover, it is expected that different needs will arise in the different populations. Discussion: Transfering the effects of traditional positive interventions beyond the one-to-one approach entails considering aspects such as the accessibility, attractiveness, personalization or profitability. As the number of mHealth applications continues to increase, it is crucial to take into account the user perspective from the beginning of the process to increase efficacy, usability and adherence.

ABSTRACT. During Covid-19, people have increasingly looked for occasions to reinforce their affective link with nature as a place to restore from stress and socialize. Affective connection with nature is called nature connectedness as the specific ability to care of other living beings, and to identify oneself as part of nature, increasing multiple dimensions on well-being and general mood (Beute, Albers & van den Berg, 2022).

It has been suggested that being exposed to virtual nature may increase psychological benefits and physiological restoration (Zhang et al., 2021; Gao et al., 2019; Riches et al., 2021), especially thanks to the role played by the sense of presence elicited in simulated scenarios, which emerged as highly related to affect and emotion intensity (Chirico & Gaggioli, 2019). Despite these advancements in the understanding of the benefits associated with simulated nature, little research has examined to what extent the effects of virtual and real nature on wellbeing and emotions are comparable. In the present study, we investigate this hypothesis by comparing virtual and real nature’s ability to convey nature connectedness and wellbeing.

The experiment follows a within-subjects research design involving healthy volunteers who are exposed to the same natural environment either in reality or in virtual reality. Participants are required to self-report their level of wellbeing and nature connectedness after each nature-exposure. In particular, before and after each setting, the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (Terracciano, McCrac & Costa, 2003); the State-trait Anxiety Inventory Form Y (Spielberger, 1979); Aesthetic Emotions Scale (Schindler et al., 2017) and level of presence and immersiveness will be administered. The Connectedness to Nature Scale (Mayer & Frantz, 2004), the Nature Relatedness Scale Short Form (Nisbet et al., 2009) and the Engagement with Beauty (Diesser et al., 2008) will be administered to assess the general relation with nature. In addition, the Dispositional Positive Emotion Scale (Chirico, Shiota & Gaggioli, 2021) will be used to assess individuals' levels of dispositional emotions and the Desire for Aesthetic Scale (Lundy et al., 2010) to assess general aesthetic interest in literature, art, film, design, food and nature.

Data collection is still ongoing. We expect that levels of well-being and nature connectedness will be different in the two exposure settings but that both will reach high levels, with a significant decrease in stress in an adult sample. The relevance of this study deal providing possibility that well-being and nature connectedness are comparable with those experienced in reality, promoting psychological benefits and physiological restoration.

ABSTRACT. The covid-19 pandemic has encouraged the development of teleconsulting. For some people already affected by anxiety disorders, travel restrictions have been added. The presentation will illustrate a case of complete management of anxiety disorders (claustrophobia, belonephobia) carried out exclusively in teleconsulting. This treatment includes accompanied graduated exposures carried out using sites allowing 360° visits to hospital departments and a site allowing exposure to feared situations with a smartphone placed in a head-mounted display. The presentation will address the place of the sense of presence in the therapeutic process. The presentation will be illustrated with video recordings of therapy sessions. Instructions for carrying out these treatments will be provided.

ABSTRACT. As the research field is establishing that VR is an effective way of conducting exposure therapy, naturally we have become interested in investigating the optimal means of delivering VR-exposure. By using biomarkers to monitor anxiety levels, the clinician can increase the likelihood that exposure sessions elicit the intended levels of anxiety, without disturbing the participant by prompting for verbal feedback and thereby interfering with the immersive experience inherent to VR. Predicting the subjective experience of anxiety in real time during exposure in VR, using biomarkers, may help the clinician adapt the exposure session to the individual, ensuring a safe and effective exposure possibly leading to better treatment results.

A preliminary study was conducted to gather data on heart rate (HR), galvanic skin response (GSR) and subjective units of distress (SUDS) in order to test three different predictive models. Twenty participants were recruited; 10 participants with social anxiety disorder (SAD) and 10 control participants. To gauge the individual participants’ baseline HR and GSR, all participants were exposed to a 5 min neutral VR-scenario. Participants were then successively exposed to four exposure-scenarios: “Encounter on bench”, “New employee”, “Shopping” and “Presentation”, each lasting 8-10 minutes. Participants were prompted for a SUDS score every 2 minutes. Total amount of data points were 204.

We applied three different machine-learning methods to the dataset: linear regression, backpropagation, and NeuroEvolution of Augmenting Topologies (NEAT). Where appropriate, we divided our dataset in training and testing datasets using an 80/20 split. Linear regression was chosen to provide a baseline and an understandable model of anxiety. To compare, we applied the classical artificial neural network (ANN) backpropagation algorithm to see if an ANN would perform better, given its ability to represent non-linear relationships. Finally, because ANN topology has a large impact on how well a model can be learned, we applied NEAT, an evolutionary algorithm that trains ANNs by both changing the network topology and its weights. As for the collected data, we considered three cases: i) raw data (HR and GSR peak frequency), ii) normalized data (baseline ± SD), iii) scaled data based on baseline (e.g. HR - mean baseline HR). As outputs of the models we considered two options: a) Estimated SUDS (Range between 0-100), and b) Brackets of SUDS: low (0-33), medium (34-66) and high (67-100).

The precision ranges between 56% and 68% for the linear regression method (based on a test set not used in training). The backpropagation setups give disappointing precision around 50%.The best two models were found with NEAT using raw data (i). For estimated SUDS we obtain a precision of 78% (a), while for the low, medium high brackets we obtain 73% precision (b). The other configurations for NEAT yield approximately 63% precision. An investigation of the structure of the best models shows that these seem to ignore GSR signals, focusing on HR as the predictor of anxiety.

The main limitation of our results is the unbalanced collected dataset due to a low amount of values in the high SUDS range. Thus, our models had fewer options to learn relationships between biomarker signals in the high anxiety range, and may have difficulties differentiating between medium/high anxiety states.

The model found with NEAT using raw data and an anxiety output level using the three brackets (low, medium and high) is being implemented in a RCT study investigating the effect of adaptive virtual reality exposure for SAD. We hope the combination of adaptive virtual reality and the ability to predict subjective experience of anxiety in real time during exposure, will add to the collected knowledge on the optimal means of delivering exposure therapy.

ABSTRACT. As technology evolves so does communication methods in many aspects of life, including in personal and romantic relationships, and increasingly mobile technology is being employed to initiate, facilitate and maintain romantic relationships (Kwok et al., 2020). Such maintenance activities include sexting: the exchange of sexually suggestive content via cellular technology such as the creation, sharing, and receiving of explicit text messages and/or nude or partially nude images or videos (Drouin et al., 2013). The majority of sexting research has focussed on adolescent samples (Brodie et al., 2019), despite the fact that prevalence among UK adults is reportedly as high as 85% (Wilson et al., 2021). Most recent studies have employed quantitative methods, but one recent qualitative study demonstrated both sex-related (e.g., physical arousal) and non sex-related motivations (e.g., physical distance) to sext in a US sample (Currin et al., 2020). Further research is needed to understand motivations for sexting in a UK context, especially when the full range of negative and positive sexting outcomes are still being identified (e.g., Englander, 2018). In the current study we recruited 19 Scottish volunteers (12 female, 10 currently in a relationship) between 20 and 30 years old. Data was collected during semi-structured online interviews lasting around 45 minutes. We asked participants about their motivations for sexting, the contextual factors which make it more likely that they will engage in sexting, and their perceived outcomes of engaging in sexting. Transcriptions were analysed using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six phases of reflexive thematic analysis. Themes emerged relating to each research question. Relating to ‘what motivates sexting engagement?’ three prominent themes emerged. The first was ‘Relationship Enhancement’ where sexting was described as a tool to feel closer to another person and communicate feelings. The second was ‘Sexual Arousal’ which related to the desire to have sex and which was characterised by participants using words such as ‘lust’ and ‘passion’. The third was ‘Pressure to Sex’ where participants were not always motivated to sext but instead, had felt pressured, or even threatened, by someone else to sext. Relating to ‘What contextual factors make it more likely that an individual will engage in sexting?’ two themes emerged. The first was ‘Trust’, highlighting the importance of being comfortable sexting partners, specifically in relation to security of sent content. The second was ‘Sexting Within a Relationship’: participants believed that sexting was part of normal relationships and were willing to engage in this context, particularly when couples were physically apart. Finally, three themes emerged relating to ‘What are the outcomes of engaging in sexting’? The first was ‘Foreplay’ where sexting is used to build sexual tension and communicate about sex before engaging in physical sex. Participants also said that sexting was useful as a secure medium to help them open up to another person about their sexual (dis)likes. The second theme was ‘Intrapersonal Benefits’: participants expressed that sexting often made them feel good about themselves and enhanced feelings of confidence. The final theme was ‘Leaked Images’ where participants used words such as ‘stupid’ and ‘dangerous’, demonstrating their awareness of the risks associated with the behaviour. They also believed that believed that consequences of leaked images become more serious with age, possibly as a result of increased responsibility. Overall participants discussed sexting almost as a sub-category of sex, viewing it as a useful tool to build intimacy in relationships, and in some contexts it can produce positive outcomes. Participants were also motivated to sext for some instrumental reasons. There was also an acknowledgement of the security risks of sending intimate content, and the dangers of sexting when being coerced or threatened.

ABSTRACT. Online abuse is an increasing problem in society (e.g., Vidgen et al., 2019). Specifically, a lot of abuse is based on differences of political opinion (Akhtar & Morrison, 2019), and much occurs on the online platform Twitter (Ward et al., 2020). However, this has never been investigated systematically in the political context of Scottish independence. This situation has remained volatile since a failed independence referendum in 2014, and on which opinions are strong and partisan, with individuals typically strongly pro-independence, or strongly pro-(British) union. A series of recent studies (e.g., Scott et al., 2020, Hand et al., 2021) have investigated attributed victim blame and perceived incident severity and found that the valence of the initial tweet and the volume of abuse received both impact observer judgments. In this study we manipulated the political orientation of the initial tweet and the volume of abuse received to gauge observer perceptions of online abuse in the context of Scottish independence. Our experiment utilized a 3 (Tweet Content: pro-independence, neutral, pro-union) x 2 (Abuse Volume: low, high) within-participants design. We presented participants with manufactured screenshots of three Twitter interactions containing an initial tweet and six responses to that tweet. The initial tweet could either be pro-union, neutral, or pro-independence, and the responses could contain either two (low volume) or four (high volume) abusive comments. All tweets and responses were taken from Twitter and were normed in a separate study. Abusive comments and other aspects of the stimuli (e.g., names and pictures of tweets and responders) were counterbalanced across participant groups. After viewing each exchange, participants rated each interaction on a measure of victim blame and perceived severity (Weber et al., 2013). At the start of the experiment, as part of demographic information, participants were asked to report their nationality – this was an open text response so they had the option of identifying themselves as ’British’ or ‘Scottish’. Of 141 participants 8 were excluded because they identified as another European nationality. The final sample contained 133 participants (57 British, 75 Scottish; Mage = 26.3). Data was collected online via Questionpro. We constructed cumulative link mixed effects models for both victim blame and perceived severity. Fixed factors were the volume of abuse, the nationality of participant, and the congruency between the tweet and the participant’s own belief (i.e., for a self-identifying Scottish participant a pro-independence tweet was congruent, a pro-union tweet was incongruent). For victim blame there was a significant three-way interaction. British participants attributed higher victim blame when the initial Tweet was incongruent with their own beliefs and either a low or high volume of abuse was present; Scottish participants attributed higher victim blame when the Tweet was congruent but only when there was a high volume of abuse. There was also a two-way Nation × Congruence interaction: British participants attributed more blame following an incongruent tweet and Scottish participants following a congruent tweet. For perceived severity there was a significant three-way interaction with higher victim blame attributed when British participants saw an incongruent tweet with a low volume of abuse, and when a Scottish participant saw a congruent tweet with a low volume of abuse. There was also a two-way Nation × Congruence interaction: British participants judged abuse more severe following incongruent tweets and Scottish participants following congruent tweets. These results demonstrate a difference in perceptions of online abuse in the context of Scottish independence based on participants’ own stance. While British participants judge those they disagree with more harshly, Scots seem to engage in more self-blame. Alternatively, there could be differences in the severity of initial tweets.

ABSTRACT. An online psychological intervention focused on Body Compassion in breast cancer survivors

Introduction Breast cancer seriously infringes on survivors’ Body Image, leading to changes in their emotional well-being [1]. Studies demonstrated the relevance of promoting resources to deal with bodily issues by treating themselves with kindness and support, known as self-compassion [2]. At the same time, online interventions are a cost-effective way to address persistent challenges and stay connected with others [3]. Despite the positive impact of self-compassion and online interventions, specific changes in bodily representations in breast cancer survivors are still unclear. This study assessed a one-month psychological intervention in a group focused on Body Compassion (BC) to promote positive emotions and Body Image in breast cancer survivors through an online program.

Methods 18 women agreed to participate in the present study voluntarily. Then, they signed an informed consent before enrollment. Participants were required to be over 18 years of age and with a history of breast cancer in the past. This study was performed in line with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. The total sample has an average age of 50.66 years (range 34 – 69 years old; DS = 8.97). The psychological intervention consisted of four online psychological sessions weekly conducted in March 2022. Specifically, the psychological intervention was focused on BC and its related emotional consequences after breast cancer. Moreover, psychological sessions addressed how to manage BC issues. A battery of questionnaires (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and Body Image Scale) has been administered before and after the intervention.

Results A within-study design has been implemented to compare anxiety, depression, and Body Image before and after the intervention. Significant results emerged for anxiety, F (1,17) = 9.264, p = .007, η_p^2 = .353 (M = 10.61; DS = 4.07 pre-intervention and M = 8.38; DS = 4.18 post-intervention). However, no significant results emerged related to depression and Body Image.

Discussion This online psychological intervention evidenced the benefits of a BC program on breast cancer survivors ‘well-being. The relatively small and self-selected sample size might be a limitation. Future research should explore women’s motivation to participate in an intervention focused on their needs [4].

References 1. V. Sebri, I. Durosini, and G. Pravettoni, "The Body after Cancer: A Qualitative Study on Breast Cancer Survivors’ Body Representation", International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 19.19 (2022): 12515. 15. 2. E. González-Hernández, D. Campos, R. Diego-Pedro, R. Romero, R., R. Baños, R., L. T. Negi, and A. J. Cebolla, “Changes in the semantic construction of compassion after the cognitively-based compassion training (CBCT®) in women breast cancer survivors”, The Spanish Journal of Psychology, (2021), 24 3. M. J. Esplen, L. Trachtenberg, “Online interventions to address body image distress in cancer”, Current opinion in supportive and palliative care (2020), 14(1), 74-79. 4. Savioni, L., Triberti, S., Durosini, I., Sebri, V., & Pravettoni, G. (2021). Cancer patients’ participation and commitment to psychological interventions: a scoping review. Psychology & Health, 1-34.

ABSTRACT. Promotion of diversity and equality to ensure participation and integration of groups in society is a key goal associated with social cohesion. With social media fundamentally altering the nature of our social interactions, it is important to consider how this aligns with broader social cohesion objectives. Social media can promote positive cross-cultural and intergroup interaction, increase belongingness, and facilitate self-expression. However, inequalities in technological access and discrepancies in digital literacy result in some groups being excluded from full online participation. Furthermore, experiences of hostility and harm on social media can drive existing divisions and act as a barrier to social cohesion. Drawing on social identity and cultural diversity via examples of vulnerable or marginalized groups within society, this presentation examines the opportunities and challenges of social cohesion in an online era. Priority areas for promoting social cohesion are discussed with a focus on e-inclusion, digital citizenship, research and policy.

ABSTRACT. Background:

Digital self-harm (DSH) is a form of self-injury where individuals will intentionally make hurtful comments about oneself through online social networks. Digital self-harm can also be conceptualized as self-cyberbullying. Although extensive literature exists on cyberbullying and cyberaggression, limited research exists on digital self-harm, specifically as DSH relates to traditional forms of self-harm, such as non-suicidal self-injury.

NSSI refers to the intentional injuring of oneself without intention to die. Traditional forms of self-harm include intentionally cutting parts of the body such as one’s arms or wrists without suicidal intention. Research shows that there are several risk factors for NSSI, one of which includes borderline personality disorder. Borderline personality disorder (BPD) consists of volatile mood, self-image, and impulsivity and comprises of six neuroticism facets (high anxiousness, high depressiveness, high angry hostility, high impulsiveness, high vulnerability, and high self-consciousness), one openness to experience facet (high fantasy), and three agreeableness facets (low compliance, low trust, and low straightforwardness), and one conscientiousness facet (low deliberation).

The current study examined whether emotionally unstable personality traits and NSSI predicted digital self-harm.

Method

Freshman undergraduate students were virtually recruited from a large midwestern university (USA) during the Spring 2020 semester when residential campus closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A PowerPoint slide was created with a hyperlink and a QR code, which was shared with professors teaching introductory-level courses (virtually) across a variety of disciplines. Participants were required to be at least 18 years of age and currently enrolled as a freshman. The anonymous internet-based survey hosted by Qualtrics included the short form of the Five-Factor Borderline Inventory and adaptations of the Functional Assessment of Self-Mutilation and the Cyberbullying Deviancy Scale.

Participants self-reported their number of NSSI and DSH behaviors in the past 12 months. 112 freshmen (59 males, 51 females, 2 non-binary) completed the survey; 61 (54%) participants self-reported engaging in at least one form of NSSI. The average number of NSSI behaviors engaged in was 2.84 (SD = 1.87). In total, 17 (15%) participants self-reported engaging in at least one type of DSH. The average number of DSH behaviors engaged in was 2.24 (SD: 1.25). Females were more likely to engage in both NSSI and DSH compared to males (p = .06, φ = .30).

Results

Results indicated a statistically significant positive correlation between individuals who engaged in more types of NSSI and individuals who engage in more types of DSH, r(112) = .35, p < .001, 95% CIs [1.17, 1.92] and [.16, .51], respectively.

For DSH, individuals who engaged in more types of DSH scored significantly higher on Dysregulated Anger, Despondence, Behavioral Dysregulation, Affective Dysregulation, Fragility, Dissociative Tendencies, Manipulativeness, Oppositional, and Rashness. In comparison, individuals who engaged in more types of NSSI scored significantly higher on Anxious Uncertainty, Despondence, Self-Disturbance, Affective Dysregulation, Fragility, Dissociative Tendencies, Manipulativeness, and Oppositional.

Conclusion

The main goal of this research was to offer new insights on digital self-harm and its relationship to non-suicidal self-injury and BPD traits. 15% of individuals engaged in some form of DSH, which was higher than previous studies of DSH. There was a significant positive correlation NSSI and DSH. The current study did not find that all BPD personality traits correlated with individuals who engaged in DSH, but the personality facets were similar among DSH and NSSI. However, other mental disorders, which are comorbid with NSSI, were not assessed in the current study. Despite these limitations, we argue that the strong effect sizes support the findings of a significant relationship between NSSI, DSH, and emotionally unstable personality traits. Future considerations should include DSH behavior for a more holistic approach when assessing self-harm.

ABSTRACT. The processes underlying note-taking with different devices in asynchronous distance learning are complex yet necessary to understand when attempting to assist learning. Digital devices permeate today’s classroom landscape–and of the various ways these devices are used, note-taking seems one of the most controversial. Note-taking is a complex process, yet an important facilitator of learning. As such, various studies have attempted to discern whether digital devices enhance or inhibit its effectiveness. For instance, Mueller and Oppenheimer(2014) famously suggested that taking notes with an ink pen is more effective than typing on a keyboard. These results are contested, however; studies such as Morehead et al. (2019) and Urry et al. (2021) were unable to replicate their findings. Luo et al. (2018) suggest that this lack of consensus is caused by different note-taking strategies being used with different writing media. Laptop users often record notes in a more text-based, verbatim fashion, while those who use longhand tend to include more spatial images in a generative way in their notes. This points to differences in learning processes according to notetaking media. Moreover, previous studies tended to either focus on post-test centered behavioral measures such as accuracy and response time, or, if they did view neural data related to learning processes, often dealt with simplified tasks far removed from the context of online learning. As such, additional research is needed to elucidate how writing devices are connected to different learning processes. The current study attempts to achieve this goal by applying the ICAP framework and viewing neural data within a context of asynchronous online learning. The ICAP framework(Chi & Wylie, 2014) consists of four types of learning activities: interactive, constructive, active, and passive. Of these four activities, note-taking within asynchronous online learning contexts are often either constructive or active. Constructive note-taking includes creating questions, while active note-taking may refer to writing key words verbatim. In our study, we observe how constructive and active note-taking are supported by different writing devices, using neural data to track variations during the learning process. Furthermore, we endeavor to bridge the gap between note-taking devices used in concrete contexts and neural processes underlying learning by analyzing EEG(electroencephalography) time-frequency data collected during constructive and active note-taking in the midst of video lectures. Our ongoing study has thus far collected 32 participants’ data, with the following experimental process. Participants’ brain waves were recorded with EEG while they watched three videos, each containing explanations of 10 pseudowords. During each video, they took notes using either an ink pen, a digital pen, or a keyboard; for the first half of each video they took notes either constructively or actively, and in the second half they took notes using the other method. The order in which participants experienced each writing device and note-taking method was randomized. The analyzed results of 32 participants show distinct frequency-based differences between active and constructive note-taking for each of the writing devices. In particular, electrodes in the parietal and occipital areas of the brain seem to show differences for each condition. Taking constructive notes with the ink pen seems to incite more activity in high beta and low gamma frequency bands compared to active notes, whereas taking notes constructively with a digital pen or keyboard leads to more synchronization in alpha and theta bands, respectively. These results seem to indicate that sustained attention is more enhanced in constructive note-taking with an ink pen, and in active note-taking with keyboards. Thus, it appears that different learning processes can be supported by distinct writing devices. Future studies could explicate more aspects of online learning contexts of note-taking, such as multitasking.

ABSTRACT. Literature review Elderly individuals are vulnerable to falls due to age-related declines in gait, balance, and cognition (Bergen, 2017; Cuevas-Trisan, 2017). Fried et al. (2001) defined frailty as a decreased reserve and resistance to stressors that result in vulnerability to adverse outcomes. Screening tools can assess these factors to prevent falls in nursing homes. Cognitive factors such as attention, sensory integration, and motor planning increase fall risk, while reduced brain volumes are associated with impaired gait and cognitive function. A comprehensive approach is necessary to reduce falls in older adults, including gait and balance assessment, cognitive function assessment, strength, balance exercises, environmental modifications, and medication review. Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence-based screening tools are utilized in nursing homes to track patients' activities and identify those most at risk of falling, providing personalized fall prevention recommendations based on individual patient data (Quijoux et al., 2021; WHO, 2021).

Research Questions i. What are the indicators of gait and balance quality in the frail elderly? ii. What are the cognitive markers of the frail elderly? General and Operational Hypothesis i. We hypothesize that gait and balance analyses can identify sub-clinical fall risk factors. ii. We assume that cognition plays a crucial role in the fall, particularly in its context (location, cause, and consequences like; traumatic, psychomotor).

Methodology This study aims to enroll 50 elderly people (10 men and 40 women) who live at the ORPEA nursing home and do not have neurological, vestibular, or visual disorders that prevent them from walking 10m without assistance. The French Committee for the Protection of Persons (CPP Nord Quest-IV) and the French data regulation agency (CNIL) have authorized this protocol. Informed consent will be obtained, and data confidentiality will be maintained. Standardized Mini-Mental State Exam in French version will be used to collect data on cognitive abilities. Clinical examinations will also be conducted to assess the participant’s ability to understand instructions, orientation, memory, and thymic state. Wearable sensors, such as accelerometers, and gyroscopes, will be used to collect data. Sampling theory, Discrete Fourier Transform, digital filters, stationarity, ergodicity, spectrogram analysis, and autocorrelation function will be used to extract meaningful information from the signals obtained from these sensors. Static data from a force platform will also be collected. Data analysis will be performed using Python, a favored signal-processing tool due to its open-source nature, vast libraries, and user-friendly syntax. Results will be presented in a way that facilitates the acceptability of the tools by the nursing staff, with a focus on data visualization, comprehensibility, and the addition of information to the clinical examination. Overall, 72 features will be grouped according to one of four families: positional, dynamic, frequency, or stochastic markers.

REFERENCES

Bergen, G. (2017). Falls and Fall Injuries among Adults Aged >/=65 Years — United States 2014 | MMWR. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6537a2

Cuevas-Trisan, R. (2017). Balance Problems and Fall Risks in the Elderly. 28(4), 727–737. doi:10.1016/j.pmr.2017.06.006

Fried, L. P., et al. (2001). Frailty in Older Adults: Evidence for a Phenotype. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/56.3.M146

Quijoux, F., et al. (2021). Postadychute-AG, Detection, and Prevention of the Risk of Falling among Elderly People in Nursing Homes: https://doi.org/10.3389/fdgth.2020.604552

WHO. (2021). WHO Global Report on Falls Prevention in Older Age. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/falls#

ABSTRACT. Introduction: In pediatrics, virtual reality (VR) has been mainly used as a distracting task during medical care by disengaging the attention from the anxiety-provoking and painful stimuli. Beyond its distracting potential, some suggest the interest of VR to learn self-regulation techniques, such as deep breathing relaxation. However, studies examining a VR protocol engaging young patients in active self-regulation are rare. During a hospitalization, fear and helplessness are frequently reported in pediatric unit which lead to negative impacts during the hospitalization (e.g., prolonged care, pain, non-collaboration), and afterwards (e.g., medical fears, prolonged convalescence). Through the attractiveness of VR, young patients might learn breathing techniques and the use of an active regulation technique in the management of care. The objective of this study is to validate of a virtual reality environment with breathing exercise for children. Method: The sample is composed of children hospitalized in a pediatric unit (N = 100), aged between 7 and 15 years. The intervention consists of immersions in relaxing virtual environments including an avatar guiding the relaxing breathing. Several questionnaires are fulfilled by the children in order to assess the validity of the virtual environments (e.g., cybersickness, sense of presence) and the effect on state anxiety. The satisfaction with the tool is also assessed based on the holistic model for VR program design developed by Ahmadpour and colleagues (2020). Three aspects are investigated (i.e., intervention, product and experience) through three items on a Likert-type scale from 0-3. Results: Data collection is still ongoing. However, on a sample of 22 children, we obtain a mean of 28.87 (SD = 8.15) for the sense of presence questionnaire. The cybersickness scores obtained post-immersion are low. Differences between the pre- and post-immersion cybersickness and anxiety means are significant (respectively Z = 2.87, p = .004, d = .82 and Z = 3.119, p = .002, d = .82), with a decrease in post-immersion scores. Concerning the satisfaction of the tool, means of 8.05 (SD = 1.13), 7.68 (SD = 1.46), 8.14 (SD = 1.04) are obtained for the aspects of intervention, product and experience, respectively. Results on the total sample will be presented during the poster session. The moderating effects of gender, age, and trait anxiety on the studied variables will also be investigated. Discussion: These preliminary results are encouraging since the virtual environment presents a good feeling of presence, low levels of cybersickness, and decrease of post-immersion anxiety. Good satisfaction with the tool is reported by the children. The results that will be obtained at the end of data collection will be discussed.

ABSTRACT. 1.Introduction Virtual Reality is nowadays used in many contexts related to patient care and treatment, such as Parkinson's Disease, Alzheimer, PTSD, and many other neuropsychological (e.g., anxiety, depression) and neurophysiological (e.g., pain) disorders. Virtual Reality is also largely used in an oncological context, focusing on physical and psychological symptoms. Some of these studies have found encouraging results regarding the use of Virtual Reality to increase satisfaction in oncological care, reduce cancer-related psychological symptoms and pain, and improve treatment adherence. For example, studies showed that Virtual Reality could support patients during different phases of cancer treatments by reducing their distress (e.g., during chemotherapy). Regarding feasibility, Virtual Reality is a tool easy to use and without risk for participants. Moreover, Virtual Reality could be considered very inexpensive for health institutions. In this line, it is important to understand oncologists' attitudes about the use of Virtual Reality to promote patients' well-being. 2.Material and Methods This study will investigate oncologists' attitudes towards Virtual Reality. Specifically, we will explore four specific types of Virtual Reality applications that will allow cancer patients to 1) reduce pain, 2) promote relaxation during cancer treatments (e.g., chemotherapy), 3) improve physical rehabilitation (e.g., through physical activities), and 4) educate about the procedures connected to cancer treatments and procedures (e.g., knowing the specific steps that patients have to deal with radiotherapy). Oncologists or oncology residents who work in an Italian hospital will be asked to read a brief description of the use of Virtual Reality in these four scenarios and observe an example image related to the use of Virtual Reality for patients' pain reduction, relaxation, rehabilitation, and health education. Afterward, participants will be invited to rate on a Likert scale of agreement how much they perceive any application of Virtual Reality as - for example - Useful, Innovative, and Effective. Other psychological variables will also be assessed to explore any possible influence of these aspects on healthcare professionals' attitudes towards Virtual Reality (e.g., personality traits, decisional self-efficacy). 3.Results Data collection is ongoing. We expect that oncologists will show more interest and positive attitudes towards the use of Virtual Reality as a tool to facilitate patients' cancer journey. We also expect that some psychological variables will impact these attitudes. 4.Conclusion Virtual Reality is now used in the oncological context. Exploring the attitudes of oncologists about these technologies could help a better implementation of Virtual Reality in the context of care.

Acknowledgments: M.S. is a Ph.D. student within the European Schoolof Molecular Medicine (SEMM).

ABSTRACT. The Therapeutic metaphors use the symbolic language, the same of the unconscious and are a formidable synthesis of cognitive and affective-emotional aspects and dimensions. Metaphors are an excellent indicator of trauma and the emotional state associated with it, of the individual's map (historical events, emotionally significant figures, relationships, belief systems, attitudes and values, etc.). They widen the network of reference experiences to allow the restructuring process and the recovery, in a rehabilitative key, of alternative adaptation strategies. The following contribution, the result of the work of a multidisciplinary research team, provides further evidence and confirmation of the usefulness of applying emerging technologies (Immersive, 3D, V/R, A/R) to the field of clinical psychology and psychotherapy. Here we present an innovative psychotherapeutic technique, that of transformative therapeutic metaphors (MTT), based on Mills', Crowley's and Gordon's therapeutic metaphors, which we have already used in a different and innovative way at a clinical level, but which, translated, interpreted and used in a virtual and immersive context (MTT-VR/AR), offer, from a clinical point of view, the possibility of enhancing the expression and representation of psychic contents as well as the advantage of initiating and rendering a more effective transformative dialogue with the metaphors. Furthermore, what emerges from the clinical observations of the experimentation is that treatment with MTT-VR/AR allows subjects to interface, in the transformative dialogue of traumatic contents, no longer directly and exclusively with the figure of the therapist, with whom it takes time to establish a therapeutic alliance based on trust, but with the virtual metaphor, which becomes the representation of preconscious and unconscious contents (or rather the representation of unconscious traumatic contents) with which the subject dialogues more easily precisely because they represent an externalised part of himself/herself. The use of this technique, therefore, would lead to a threefold advantage: it could circumvent the resistance of individuals suffering from anxiety, obsessive disorders, depressive disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, etc., to open up immediately with a change specialist with whom they interact for the first time; would implement the effectiveness of the treatment due to the fact that the subject is as if in dialogue with himself/herself or rather with an interface of internal and personal contents that s/he himself/herself has helped to generate and create; the subject has the possibility of seeing and manipulating what makes him/her feel bad. Although not entirely real since it is virtual, but precisely because of this characteristic, s/he can more easily deconstruct and change, crossing and transcending the interlocking and rigid limits of reality. Methodology The subjects who participated in the research were subjected to, pre- and post-experiment, with a view to measure their anxiety level by means of a self-administered psychometric instrument, the STAI-X, which detects state, trait and post-treatment anxiety. The metaphors used in the research were independently chosen by each subject and for each of them, two were used. Both the subjects in the control group and those in the experimental group were treated with the technique of therapeutic metaphors, which incorporates Gordon's model and Mills and Crowley's technique, but extends it and makes it innovative thanks to the fact that a transformative dialogue is established with them, with the difference that in the group that we could define as the control group, taken from clinical practice, the interaction took place only at an imaginative level and was simultaneously shared with the therapist, in the group subjected to the experiment, the metaphors were translated on a virtual level and used in an immersive context.

ABSTRACT. Context. The Quebec Mental Health Plan 2022 is clear, numeric interventions are necessary to promote access to mental health resources as well as the autonomy of individuals and their recovery. The use of applications based on the self-help approach allows for autonomous solutions in the daily life of the individual while educating them. The self-help approach has already proven efficacity in the field of eating disorders (ED). Indeed, coupled with the cognitive-behavioral approach, studies have demonstrated a lasting reduction in bulimic and hyperphagic symptoms as well as a prevention up to 50% of relapses. Based on these evidence and societal needs a mobile and self-help application named “Intervenant de poche - Loricorps” was developed. This application is composed by five modules: (i) Perceptions, (ii) relationships, (ii) occupations and (iv) sensations related to the (v) Act of eating like dysfunctional eating attitudes and behaviors (Pros-A approach). The Intervenant de poche is based on the Ecological Momentary Assessment method (EMA). For each module, self-reported data are collected through visual analogic scales and open questions. The content of this presentation is the synthesis of three studies related to the Intervenant de poche. The first study is a validation of this mobile application as an assessment method to evaluate body image distortions in adolescents. The second study used the Intervenant de poche as an assessment method of physical self-perception during the eSILENCE 1.0 program. The third and last study will present how the Intervenant de poche could be implemented in clinical practice through two clinical cases.

Results. Regarding the first study, the Intervenant de poche was used to documents the convergent and discriminant validity between (a) the traditional paper-based Figure Rating Scale, (b) the Virtual Reality‐based Body Rating Scale (eLoriCorps‐IBRS 1.1), and (c) the mobile app‐based Body Rating Scale (eLoriCorps‐IBRS 1.1‐Mobile), delivered through the Intervenant de poche app. A total of 93 adolescents participated in the study. Body dissatisfaction and body distortion were assessed through the paper‐based FRS, the eLoriCorps‐IBRS 1.1 and the eLoriCorps‐IBRS 1.1‐ Mobile. Correlation analyses support the validity of the eLoriCorps‐IBRS 1.1‐Mobile with promising perspectives of implementation among young populations. In the second study, the mobile application was used to measure disturbances in physical self-perception during a blind integrated prevention program of mental and physical health, the eSILENCE 1.0 program. Completed by 61 adolescents during 14 consecutive weeks, analysis conducted on data collected through the Intervenant de poche, demonstrated a positive evolution of specific physical self-perception components (global self-esteem, perceived physical appearance, etc.) compared to an ED-only program and a control condition. Finally, the Intervenant de poche app was used to document the perceptual and occupational dynamics of two clinical cases by drawing an idiographic portrait of the evolution of the Perception and occupation modules. Both intra and interindividual variability in Perception and occupation modules were translated through visual, descriptive, and explanatory time series analysis combined with verbatim extracted from written comments. The results confirmed that the presence of the perceptual disorder influence the perception of daily functioning. The data’s precision obtained thanks to EMA methodology allows the results to show a higher level of fluctuation during moments related to eating, physical activity and occupations that involve looking at oneself.

Conclusion. Thus, studies shown that in addition to providing significant support for empowerment and self-reliance, the Intervenant de poche could be a reliable instrument to measure (dys-)functional eating attitudes and behaviors (including eating disorders) and could be a valid solution to the societal need for evidence-based mental health programs.

ABSTRACT. Introduction

The psychological research on video games has thrived in the last decades. Some aspects of these complex media have been neglected by researchers in favor of others. For example, because of the huge interest towards the possible effects of violent contents on behavior, action video games have been studied consistently more than other genres. The same happened with massive multiplayer games because of the rise of the Metaverse and eSports. However, the gaming scenario is currently seeing a renewed interest towards single-player games requiring high problem solving abilities, e.g. context awareness and analysis, investigation and deduction, logical puzzles and decryption (“investigative games” for short from now on). This rise in interest towards complex problem solving in ludic activities appears connected to similar contents across other media, such as investigative board games and the re-flourishing of gamebooks. It is interesting to explore both the motivational factors involved in players’ selection of these products, and the perceived benefits in terms of cognitive empowerment and influence on everyday activities (e.g., whether they affect players' perceived abilities in complex work or study tasks). For example, it is possible that one is driven to play such games due to the compelling challenge which allows the player to feel competent (an important motivation according to Self-Determination Theory); or, it is possible one would perceive investigative games as an occasion to exercise abilities useful to tackle everyday life challenges (a concept known as “transferability”of skills).

Goals

The research tackles two main open research questions: - What personality and motivational factors are involved in the preference towards investigative games and video games? - What perceived benefits players find in investigative games and video-games, and are they transferred in everyday work or study tasks?

Methods

We are conducting a cross-sectional research involving around 200 video game players (age 18-45 years old). Participants are invited to fill out questionnaires including:

- Background information, i.e. demographic, education, employment status - Ad hoc measures on preference towards investigative video games, complex problem solving in video games, and similar contents across other media; - The Big Five for personality factors; - A measure of motivation based on previous research and Self Determination Theory in video games; - Rosenberg scale for self-esteem and an ad hoc measure for self-efficacy in complex problem solving; - A survey based on the OECD-PIAAC model (Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies) to investigate everyday usage of cognitive and metacognitive aspects in adults (such as literacy, numeracy and problem solving in technology-rich environments).

Expected Results

We expect to obtain relevant information on motivational and personality factors related to the interest (or preference) towards the requirement of high problem solving abilities in video games: this could be useful to inform video game developers and marketers to design innovative products based on players’ profiles and needs. Moreover, we expect to obtain relevant information on the perceived benefits of consistently playing video games with high problem solving requests in everyday life, possibly in terms of transferability of complex cognitive abilities in work and study activities. This could provide interesting indications to educators who plan to use games, video games, or gamified interactive technologies in general to promote learning or social change, in that it will share light on the usage of media to train high-level cognitive processing.

ABSTRACT. Lazarus and Folkman’s Transactional Model of Stress and Coping states an individual’s perceived stress is influenced by their appraisal of the stressor and their ability to cope. Using this model, this presentation will discuss the impact of resilience on the relationship between perceived stress, FoMO, and technology dependence, and the influence of FoMO on stress and technology dependence.

Lazarus and Folkman’s Transactional Model of Stress and Coping provides a framework to examine how individuals use cognitive reappraisals to evaluate stressors and their available coping resources. This model suggests that individuals appraise their ability to manage stressors, which influences their perceived stress levels and coping efforts. Through this lens, this talk will explore the impact of resilience on the relationship between perceived stress, FoMO, and technology dependence, and discuss FoMO and its influence on stress and technology dependence. Given the adverse outcomes that have been linked with technology dependence, including technology addiction being viewed as a maladaptive outcome of depression, it may be helpful to consider the impact of an individual’s resilience on this relationship, and potentially reframe how researchers understand digitally based coping behaviors in individuals with high stress levels. This presentation will present findings on predictors of technology dependence and social media use, as well as correlates of depression, anxiety, and perceived stress on FoMO, technology dependence, social media use, and resilience.

ABSTRACT. Episodic Memory (EM) is a part of long-term memory that has the recollection of specific experiences, situations, and events. EMs are personally meaningful and related to our sense of self (Tulving, 2002). There is always an “I” that encounters the real event and an ”I” that re-experiences the event while remembering it (Bergouignan et al., 2014). A feature of the “I” experience is Bodily Self Consciousness (BSC) – conscious experiences such as self-location and self-identification (Ehrsson, 2007; Lenggenhag et al., 2007; Petkova & Ehrsson, 2008; Aspell et al., 2013) along with the first-person perspective (Ionta et al., 2011; Pfeiffer et al., 2014; Pfeiffer et al., 2016). BSC is achieved by the automatic and constant processing of multisensory bodily signals (Blanke, 2012)

This within-subjects design aims to create a spatial perspective memory task with immersive virtual reality to study the effects of perspective manipulation during encoding and retrieval on learned material (e.g., faces). Participants will encode stimuli in the 1st and 3rd person perspective, then they will recognize the stimuli with Remember-Know (RK) procedure from a 1st and 3rd person perspective.

Sample will consist of 24 healthy male and female participants (Effect Size (f) = 0,39, α err prob = 0.05, Power (1-β err prob) = 0,95) (Bergouignan et al., 2014) aged 20-30 considering long-term memory starts declining after 30 years of age (Park et al., 2002).

The encoding phase will have four sets of conditions: encoding of list 1 with 1st person perspective and RK list 1 with 1st person perspective; encoding list 2 with 3rd person perspective and RK list 2 with 3rd person perspective; encoding list 3 with 3rd person perspective and RK list 3 with 1st person perspective; encoding list 4 with 1st person perspective and RK list 4 with 3rd person perspective. All the conditions will be counterbalanced to avoid order effects.

We hypothesize that stimuli encoded and retrieved from a 1st person perspective will be better recalled than stimuli encoded and retrieved from a 3rd person perspective and mismatch encoding-retrieval conditions.

Tulving, E. (2002). Episodic memory: From mind to brain. Annual review of psychology, 53(1), 1-25. Bergouignan, L., Nyberg, L., & Ehrsson, H. H. (2014). Out-of-body–induced hippocampal amnesia. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(12), 4421-4426. Blanke, O. (2012). Multisensory brain mechanisms of bodily self-consciousness. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 13(8), 556-571. Ehrsson, H. H. (2007). The experimental induction of out-of-body experiences. Science, 317(5841), 1048-1048. Lenggenhager, B., Tadi, T., Metzinger, T., & Blanke, O. (2007). Video ergo sum: manipulating bodily self-consciousness. Science, 317(5841), 1096-1099. Petkova, V. I., & Ehrsson, H. H. (2008). If I were you: perceptual illusion of body swapping. PloS one, 3(12), e3832. Aspell, J. E., Heydrich, L., Marillier, G., Lavanchy, T., Herbelin, B., & Blanke, O. (2013). Turning body and self inside out: visualized heartbeats alter bodily self-consciousness and tactile perception. Psychological science, 24(12), 2445-2453. Ionta, S., Gassert, R., & Blanke, O. (2011). Multi-sensory and sensorimotor foundation of bodily self-consciousness–an interdisciplinary approach. Frontiers in Psychology, 2, 383. Pfeiffer, C., Schmutz, V., & Blanke, O. (2014). Visuospatial viewpoint manipulation during full-body illusion modulates subjective first-person perspective. Experimental brain research, 232, 4021-4033. Pfeiffer, C., Grivaz, P., Herbelin, B., Serino, A., & Blanke, O. (2016). Visual gravity contributes to subjective first-person perspective. Neuroscience of consciousness, 2016(1). Park, D. C., Lautenschlager, G., Hedden, T., Davidson, N. S., Smith, A. D., & Smith, P. K. (2002). Models of visuospatial and verbal memory across the adult life span. Psychology and aging, 17(2), 299.

ABSTRACT. On the importance of social touch for senior individuals and ways to ameliorate social isolation: Lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic

Ans I.M. Tummers-Heemels1, Wijnand A. IJsselsteijn Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands

Short summary: The need for touch exists below the horizon of consciousness. Interpersonal touch, or gentle physical contact between individuals, is an important aspect of human social interaction and has been shown to have numerous benefits for senior individuals. One of the main ways that interpersonal touch can benefit senior individuals is by reducing feelings of loneliness and social isolation. The outbreak of Covid-19 necessitated social distancing measures to mitigate the negative health consequences of the pandemic, which were particularly pronounced amongst vulnerable populations, especially those who live with dementia. At the same time, seniors’ psychosocial wellbeing was compromised as opportunities for interpersonal touch became severely restricted. In this paper, we share what we have learned during the pandemic, both on the critical importance of social touch for senior individuals, as well as on innovative ways to ameliorate the forced absence of social touch. Our research highlights the fact that social relationships and physical contact are key to personal wellbeing and underlines the importance of touch.

Keywords. Dementia, touch, Covid-19, mediated social touch, affective haptics, quality of life 1. Introduction Studies have shown that touch can promote feelings of social connection and belonging. Subjective pleasantness ratings of slowly stroking touch even increase with age. Additionally, touch has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety, common issues for seniors, particularly those living in care facilities. Interpersonal touch can help to lower blood pressure, to improve sleep quality and improve immune function. In addition to the direct benefits of touch, it can also help seniors to maintain their emotional balance. Behavioral and psychological problems of older people are ameliorated after receiving massage or touch. From the point of view of the nurses, interpersonal touch stimulates their own ability to comfort and to promote emotional attachment, making their work more personally satisfying, which has been shown to diminish the risk of burn-out. In our contribution, we investigate the extent to which Covid-19 and its associated measures interfered with psychosocial wellbeing, and highlight innovations that have been used to mitigate potential negative effects.

2. Methods We performed a short, targeted literature review focusing on the role and importance of social touch for elderly individuals. In addition, we present results from a recent online survey (N=100) amongst nursing staff which was performed to assess the implementation of social distancing measures in care homes, and their psychosocial effects on the person with dementia.

3. Results & Discussion With the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic we have regained a renewed appreciation of the importance of social touch for individual wellbeing. Many efforts have been made to mitigate the negative effects of such isolation, including physical hug-screens, soft hugable or strokeable objects, and improvised handholding in the form of heated gloves. We also observed the increased use of digital touch technologies, including robotic pets, various telepresence and virtual social touch devices. Experiences over the last two years have been valuable in demonstrating what works, and what may need further improvement. Our results indicate that the tradeoff between a focus on safety and physical wellbeing versus a focus on social interaction and social wellbeing is to an extent artifactual. It is important that the person with dementia can express and experience social touch and closeness to loved ones at all times. We all have realized that, more than ever before, social contact is necessary and that people with dementia should not be restricted from it, jamais.

ABSTRACT. With the rise of the internet in the 1990's, the use of computers has become an indispensable and vital part of people’s daily communication (Christie & Dill, 2016). A large body of research indicate that people increasingly rely on computer-based communication under the relative anonymity of internet as they contact with others (Christie & Dill, 2016). At the midst of this novel medium and way of communication an increase in hostility and aggression within cyberspace and social media has been noticed by numerous researchers and been subject to academic investigation and research (Christie & Dill, 2016). It has been proposed that exposure to violent media is a prime contributor to increased cyber-aggression. Krahe&Möller (2010) noted that there is meta-analytic evidence between violent media consumption and tendency to engage in aggression. Exposure to mass media violence such as hate speech, violent video games and cyber bullying alter cognitive, emotional and behavioral processes and possibly lead to desensitization towards violence. Supporting this notion, the landmark study by Molitor and Hirsch (1994) and subsequent studies confirmed that viewing violent video images increased tolerance for violent behavior. Nevertheless, there is still substantial a gap in our understanding between longitudinal effects of media violence, cyber harassment and adolescents' perception toward violence. The focus concept of this research is justification of cyber-harassment among Turkish Adolescents. As this concept is a "multi-layer" phenomenon, it is aimed to provide deep-sight toward "justification of cyber-harassment" in terms of digital media literacy, engagement of cyber-harassment, alexthimia and attitude toward violence. First of all, social media usage habits are very important. Heavy users are potential risk groups for cyber harassment which is defined as any of violent behaviors at cyberspace such as hate speech, bullying, online gossiping. Engaging in cyber harassment is another risk for desensitization. People, especially adolescents who engage in cyber harassment both as a victim or as a perpetrator after a while perceive violence as a "normal" behavior, they desensitize toward cyber- violence. Not only result for real-life violence, desensitization to violence is an incidental process which may also result in exposure to media violence. The most important result of desensitization toward violence is justification of violence and after a while individuals perceive violence like a "legitimate right" (Barkun,2000). Moreover, according to Gamez-Guadix & Gini (2016), youth who reported high levels of justifications of aggressive behaviors, were more likely to engage in reactive aggressive behaviors toward peers. With regard to Justification of cyber-harassment, there are researches that shows there is a relationship between justification of aggression have positively associated with cyber- bullying perpetrators. Also, researchers found that attitudes toward justification of cyber-bullying were associated with being perpetrator of cyber-bullying. Based on literature reviews and findings from other researches hypothesizes of this research as following; H1: Justification of cyber-harassment is stronger among Turkish youths both victim and perpetrator of cyber-harassment. H2: Justification of cyber-harassment is stronger among Turkish youths with lack of digital media literacy skills. H3: The justification of cyber-harassment is stronger among Turkish youths with high alexitimia level. Present research conducted with the participation of 400 university students, it was determined that variables of cyber-victimization, cyber-bullying, digital media literacy and alexithymia (emotional deafness) were explanatory effects on justification of cyber violence. As a result of present research; cyber victimization, digital media literacy and alexithymia have explanatory effects on justification of cyber harassment whereas being a cyberbully has no explanatory effects on justification of cyber harassment. In this context, it has come to the point that the use of digital media literacy and conscious internet using are important in order to prevent justification of cyber harassment.

ABSTRACT. There has been a substantial and increasing growth in the delivery of psychological services at a distance, particularly via the internet. This has led to the need to review professional practice with respect to ethical principles. The main question is whether these developments introduce fundamentally different ethical issues, or whether the existing ethical principles and standards, as formulated in the ethical codes of member associations, are appropriate in addressing professionals’ behavir. Although videoconferencing has been the main spur to action, it is important to recognize other types of communications as well, including telephone and written communication, for a wide range of practices: counselling and therapy, assessment, guidance and behavioral interventions.

In this talk, we will focus on novel guidelines developed by the Board of Ethics and the Project Group of eHealth of the European Federation of Psychologists’ Associations (EFPA), which are to be read in conjunction with their existing Meta-Code of Ethics. This Meta-Code specifies that the ethical dimensions of professional practice as a psychologist are the same whether such practice is in person or at a distance, namely: respect for a person’s rights and dignity, competence, responsibility, and integrity. However, a different medium and communication setting poses its own specific profile of characteristics, and hence of ethical challenges, including the degree of appropriateness of any particular form of psychological practice.

The guidance focuses therefore not only highlights existing challenges, but also proposes a number of general recommendations for (member organizations of) psychologists regarding specific points of attention when offering psychological services at a distance.

Security is for example of high importance, as special attention should be paid to clarifying the identity and competence of psychologist, and in general also the identity of the clients they are treating (although exemptions may occur). Any (financial) transactions should be properly secured as well. Similarly, confidentiality is also key by informing clients of which electronic records would be registered, in what capacity and to what extent these could be accessed, i.e. by law enforcement in the therapist’s location in the context of cross-border care.

Other challenges relate to competence and differences in communication (e.g., assuring psychologists have sufficient training to make optimal use of telepsychology), effectiveness and evidence (e.g., relying not only on telepsychology but exploring blended approaches when the evidence-base is limited or specific conditions warrant caution for a trajectory solely relying on telepsychology).

ABSTRACT. Revisiting what happened during (or after) a traumatic event is an important part of the treatment process in trauma-focused cognitive therapy. However, clients may have difficulty retrieving these memories voluntarily or engaging with this content for sufficient periods. As such, tools to support the access and delivery of imaginal exposure content within treatment may prove to be particularly useful for therapists.

The aim of the presented case study was to incorporate innovative, low-cost VR into a standardised Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy treatment protocol. This case report introduces work undertaken with Mr A, a 38-year-old male, who two years prior had experienced a city centre assault. Initial assessment revealed a PCL-5 score of 64 and he met DSM-5 criteria for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Mr A received 10 sessions wherein the traditional imaginal exposure components were implemented via a newly developed Virtual Reality (VR) development workflow called ‘VR Photoscan’.

After 10 sessions, results showed PCL-5 scores decreased from 64 to 19 and Mr A no longer met DSM-5 PTSD criteria. VR Photoscan, was used during 4 out of 10 sessions and included (1) reliving; (2) memory updating and (3) stimulus discrimination activities. Mr A also reported VR Photoscan as helpful regarding preparation for site visits. In conclusion, the technology provided a more visceral exposure experience which supported Mr A to revisit the trauma memory. He reported high levels of satisfaction with the quality of the virtual environment and no issues using the VR technology. Produced with lower-costs and shorter development times than typical computer- generated environments, VR Photoscan may be more easily implemented within routine care, although further research is required to explore its added value compared to conventional treatment.

ABSTRACT. Videogaming has grown rapidly in recent years, with estimates suggesting over 2.6 billion users worldwide. The industry has grown both in popularity and in its offerings to individuals, including an increased capacity for interaction. Research to date has primarily focused on serious games and gamification as tools for behaviour change and health interventions. However, there is a paucity of research on the effects of commercial videogaming on mental health, despite it being significantly more widely played. Investigating the effects of commercial videogaming has several advantages, as it may provide a low-cost and ready-to-use intervention for individuals to increase social deficits and improve mental wellbeing. This review identifies the current understanding of the impact of commercial videogaming on social capital. This review also identifies the most researched commercial videogames to assess social capital and what measures have been used to assess this. The review identified 217 studies through searching Scopus, PsycINFo and Embase. Of these, 10 papers were selected for review after removing duplicates and reviewing titles and abstracts for relevance. The number of participants in the studies ranged from 206 to 1291, with none of the studies reporting children under 16 years of age. All the studies in the review utilized surveys as their methodology, with most being cohort studies that recorded self-reported social capital scores on various scales at a single point in time. Only one study employed a longitudinal design, recording results over a two-year period. The measures of social capital varied greatly among studies, with some not including a standardized measure and others developing measures specifically for internet users. A single study reported scores of loneliness. Out of the ten studies identified, three reported associations between social capital and increased wellbeing, two reported no association, two reported a combination of increased and decreased wellbeing and three reported decreased wellbeing. The studies reporting positive associations found that online social support may facilitate coping with problems and provide a platform for developing friendships, particularly for shy individuals or those with higher social anxiety. Two studies reported no associations, and one study found a "rich get richer" effect for social capital scores, and three studies found lowered wellbeing among videogame players. The findings suggest that further research is needed to determine what facilitates social connectedness between individuals engaging with others in videogames. These varied results could be attributed to varied motivations for playing videogames or the way the videogames facilitate social interaction. The review found six out of the ten studies reviewed did not specify which commercial games were most researched to assess the impact of social capital on videogamers' wellbeing. Three studies investigated MMPORG games, and one study investigated World of Warcraft. Only one measure of social support was utilised across two of the studies included in the review. The various ways it was measured may bring in to question the construct validity of social capital. To improve understanding of the impact of social capital on wellbeing in individuals playing commercial videogames, further research is needed to develop a consensus on an appropriate scale to measure social capital. Based on the current number of videogame player the group represent a large sub-group of the global population. By understanding the benefits and drawbacks of engaging with others using videogames, clinicians and researchers will better be able to recommend and/or discourage use. Further research may be able to establish which games are best able to increase social capital and subsequent wellbeing.

ABSTRACT. Introduction: Over the past three decades, there has been a significant increase in the prevalence of obesity worldwide. To reduce its impact, it is essential to investigate new effective interventions for People Living With Obesity (PLWO). To this end, new opportunities attempt to integrate new technologies with sound psychological techniques. One such project is SOCRATES, which aims to evaluate the effectiveness of ConVRself, a Virtual Reality platform designed to help PLWO to adopt a healthier lifestyle by combining embodiment and body-swapping elements, together with Motivational Interview (MI) techniques. After having presented the randomized controlled trial (RCT) protocol in CYPSY25, this work will present the results of the ongoing RCT, whose data collection is expected to end in April 2023. Objective: The main objective of this study is to explore how the virtual experience with ConVRself can improve motivation to adopt healthy eating and physical exercise habits in PWLO. We expect that those participants trained on MI, who will engage in a motivational self-conversation, will show higher scores on motivation to adopt healthier habits in terms of eating healthier and doing more physical exercise. Methods: By now, 60 outpatients with obesity from the Endocrinology and Obesity Unit of the Vall d´Hebron University Hospital have been included in the RCT and were randomly assigned to one of three treatment conditions. Participants of Experimental Group 1 (EG1), after completing an intensive 4-hour training on MI, received a virtual intervention where they engaged in a virtual self-conversation using the embodiment and body-swapping technique, which allowed them to alternatively change roles between their own avatar and a counselor’s avatar. The Experimental Group 2 (EG2) underwent a virtual intervention consisting of a pre-registered speech led by a virtual counselor who gave them psychoeducational advice. EG2 participants only embodied in their own avatar, without the body-swapping technique. All virtual interventions consisted of a weekly session (20-30 minutes) for 4 consecutive weeks supervised by a trained psychologist at the hospital. The Control Group (CG) received treatment as usual. All participants completed self-reported questionnaires on their motivation to change lifestyle [(Readiness Rulers (RR), Processes of Change questionnaire in weight management (P-W)] at baseline (T0), post-intervention (T1), and 4 weeks follow-up (T2). Two-level hierarchical linear models (HLMs) with intent-to-treat analysis will be performed to examine longitudinal changes in outcomes. Results: Sociodemographic results indicate that the majority of the sample were women (78.3%). The mean age of the sample was of 44.22 years (range 18-61), and the mean Body Mass Index (BMI) was 43.88 (range 34.51-56.68) kg/m2. Before their inclusion in the study, participants had been in the circuit of bariatric surgery for a mean of 20 months. Regarding the presence of current pathology, 20% of the sample is diagnosed with a mental illness, with depression and anxiety being the most common, and 81.7% have a current physical illness, including relevant pain, cardiovascular, and metabolic complications. As regards the analysis of the data from the questionnaires, which will start at the end of April, we will perform a two-level HLMs with an intent-to-treat analysis to estimate outcomes over time utilizing all available data of participants. Finally, we will also examine the moderating influence of sociodemographic and clinical variables (such as age, gender, and BMI) on the measures. Conclusions: Through the ongoing RCT, we aim to demonstrate the effectiveness of the motivational self-conversation with ConVRself to help PLWO initiate and maintain their process of change. Likewise, we also seek to promote the use of similar platforms using the self-conversation paradigm to address other behavioral problems, such as eating disorders or addictions. Funding: SOCRATES project (CI: PR(AG)224/2021) EU HORIZON 2020 GA number: 951930.

ABSTRACT. Background: One in every three women in the world is exposed to physical and/or sexual harassment from a partner. Sexual harassment occurs when women are targets of unwanted sexual comments, gestures, or actions from men, leading to social and psychological disorders including anxiety, depression, and loss of self-esteem. According to the literature, the perpetration of violent attitude against others is due to the lack of empathy, in particular to the inability to imagine themselves in the perspective of their victim. To this end, empathy training programs based on perspective taking were developed to promote prosocial behaviour and to prevent offenders’ recidivism. To overcome the limit of imaging themselves into the perspective of others, the immersive 360-degree video was recently adopted to induce a full body ownership illusion that allows a person to take the perspective of someone else in a pre-recorded scenario. This technology has demonstrated to be an efficacious medium to elicit empathy and to generate users’ engagement. Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the feasibility of the 360-degree video to induce the illusion from male to female body and to realise positive changes in empathy, perspective taking, violent attitude, and the sense of oneness compared to a traditional perspective taking task. Method. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico (EP/PMDPSIC/0151/19). 25 men participated at the study, randomized in two conditions: 360-degree video n=14, narrative n=13. Average age is 28 years old (SD=10.44); education level: bachelor’s degree n=22 (88%); master’s degree n=3 (12%). The 360-degree video was a storytelling about a sexual harassment journey recorded from the female perspective, while the control condition had the same content written in first-person. At the beginning of the 360-degree video, participants were invited to follow a pre-recorded female performer body movements to induce the body swap illusion. The questionnaires administered were: Interpersonal Reactivity Index (T0); Empathy Scale (T0-T1); Attitude Towards Gender-Based Violence Scale (T0-T1); Oneness Scale (T1); Perspective Taking Scale (T1); Embodiment and Presence (T1). Results. Participants have high empathetic abilities assessed with IRI scale (M=3.89, SD=.80). Significant differences were found between conditions on perspective taking scale, t(23) = 2.284, p = .03; 95% CI (.42, .85); and oneness scale, t(23) = 2.401, p = .02; 95% CI (.11, 1.46). However, there were no significant difference between conditions for empathy, F(1,23) = .652, p = .428, η2p = 0.02, nor for violent attitude F(1,23) = .239, p = .630, η2p = .01. Regarding the effects of the 360-degree video on embodiment scores were significant for ownership, t(12) = 2.56, p = 0.025, and location, t(12) = 3.989, p = .002, but not for agency, t(12) = .834, p = .420. Moreover, participants felt significantly present in the environment, t(12) = 4.745, p = .001. Conclusions: The study demonstrated the limit of the immersive 360-degree video to elicit empathy. The no-significant difference (T0-T1) for empathy and violent attitude between conditions can be due to the low sample effect size, to the high score on empathy at baseline and to the assumption that the only short exposition to an emotive storytelling is not enough to change the empathetic skill. However, the study confirmed the feasibility of the 360-degree video to induce the body swap illusion from male to female victim of sexual harassment, beside to generate a significant level of presence. Furthermore, the 360-degree video showed significant results in eliciting perspective taking and the sense of oneness with the female victim, compared to the control condition, demonstrating the superiority of the immersive video format to generate participants’ engagement.

ABSTRACT. Background. According to the World Report on Disability, the global prevalence of disability is almost 20%. The most frequent causes are acquired brain injuries (vascular or traumatic) and spinal cord injuries (traumatic and non-traumatic) and the main consequences are mild or severe motor deficits of upper and/or lower limbs with the consequent loss of autonomy in daily life activities. Despite the alarming data on disability and the progress of knowledge related to neurogenesis and neuronal plasticity, no short-term solutions can firm a complete recovery based on the regeneration of damaged nerve tissue. In this scenario, Assistive Technologies (ATs) represent a prominent solution. However, to ensure the users’ acceptability and avoid ATs’ abandonment, research suggests analysing end users’ attitudes towards ATs, the experience of control, the ease of use and usefulness, the matching between the needs featuring both end-users and their primary caregivers. Objective: The present study is a part of a European Project to develop MAIA (Multifunctional, adaptive, and interactive AI system for Acting in multiple contexts), a human-centered AI aiming to allow end-users to control assistive devices. Specifically, the study aims to investigate the end-users' needs and the features that MAIA should have to fit these needs. Method. People with traumatic brain injury, stroke or spinal cord injury and their caregivers are invited to participate in semi-structured interviews. Inclusion criteria: age between 18 and 80 years old; the disability must have occurred from six months to ten years before the study and be from moderate to severe (score ranging from 3 to 5 on the Modified Rankin Scale); no cognitive disorders according to the 4AT test; good language comprehension and verbal expression to lead the interview. Thematic analysis was conducted to explore the participants’ needs, and an inferential analysis to investigate the difference between groups. Results. 46 participants were interviewed: 28 patients (59.6%) and 18 caregiver (38.3%) with acquired brain injury (36.2%), stroke (38.3%), and spinal cord injury (23.4%), the time from injury were 0-2 years (39.1%), 3-5 years (39.1%) and > 5 years (21.7%). 31 were female (66%), with an average age of 57.70 years, and education > 10 years (87%). 58.7% of patients had a mild walking deficit, and 41.3% were wheelchair users. Regarding technology, 63% looked for rehabilitative technology, while 37% for assistive technology. The results of no-parametric analysis showed a significant difference between type of technology needed (assistive and rehabilitative) and years from injury (0-2 years 3-5 years; and >5 years) F(1,44) = 4.148, p = .048: people in the first period from injury look more for rehabilitative technology. Moreover, there is also difference between patients and caregiver and assistive and rehabilitative t(44) = -1.472, p = .055: patients are more interested in rehabilitative technology compare to caregiver. The qualitative analysis revealed that patients look for a technology to rehab the uppers and/or lower limb abilities, especially to walk again. On the other side, caregivers look for a technology to help them in care activities with the patient. Moreover, the technology should be easy to use due to the low technological skill of the participants. Conclusions. The present study demonstrated the importance to develop a technology in accordance to the human-centre design, and to reduce as much as possible the gap between the technology and the real end-users needs. This approach could contribute to improve the acceptability of a human-centered AI system like MAIA improving also the quality of life of the users. Following these results, MAIA is now focusing on navigation tasks (to assist either wheelchair and exoskeletons) and reaching and grasping tasks and is going to be tested with patients.

ABSTRACT. Exponential technological development is rapidly changing all areas of human life. Klaus Schwab (2017) coined the term Fourth Industrial Revolution to describe a world in which individuals move between digital realms and offline reality, shaping and managing their lives through networked technology. The current revolution is redefining what it means to be human, changing not only what we do but who we are. Prominent examples of technologies include robotics, artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, and positive technologies such as mobile and wearable devices. Those technologies represent scientific breakthroughs that profoundly change how we view social well-being and physical and mental health treatment. The health sector is one of the areas most exposed to technological development. Therefore, it is influenced by digitalisation, which is revolutionising the way healthcare is delivered, from the interaction between professionals and patients to governments and stakeholders. For instance, mobile technologies increased the number of people who are covered by diagnostic, treatment, and follow-up interventions, improving access to healthcare. The Covid-19 global pandemic has confirmed the potential of mobile devices as Assistive Technology to provide psychological care across geographical boundaries. In addition, the development of intelligent robotics and exoskeletons is paving the way for Assistive and Rehabilitative Technologies for people with disabilities and their caregivers. These technologies could, for example, help people with neuromotor deficits to improve their cognitive and motor skills to regain autonomy and self-efficacy in daily life activities. At the same time, Virtual Reality continues to confirm its effectiveness in clinical rehabilitation. Enterprises, industries and almost any kind of work-related organization are also deeply affected by the digital revolution, where robots, automated machines, AI-powered agents and humans have become closer partners. For several years, literature has shown that human-robot collaboration can increase productivity and make companies more flexible. In this scenario, Human Factors and Cognitive Ergonomics, as well as Work and Organizational Psychology, play a key role because they help to ensure that the design and use of technology consider the needs and abilities of the humans who will be interacting with it, and that work environments are supportive and conducive to productivity and well-being. This includes considering factors such as usability, engagement, safety, and security in order to create technology and work environments that are user-friendly, efficient, and supportive of the health and well-being of workers. Given the growing field of human-technology interaction that ensures engagement with technology, the human-centred paradigm leads us to the Fifth Industrial Revolution, in which technological development revolves around people. The human-centred approach involves end-users at the earliest stages of technology design by seeking users' evaluations and opinions about the system in terms of acceptability, usability, ease of use, usefulness and appropriateness of the proposed solution. The bottom-up approach increases acceptance and adoption of the technology and can prevent the abandonment of technologies that contribute to the achievement of the technology's goal. Considering the background, the symposium aims to present novel studies about the design and development of advanced technologies to enhance psycho-social well-being. The thread of the proposed studies is the human-centric approach where the end-user is the core of the (r)evolution.

ABSTRACT. In 2060, according to INSEE, France could have around 23.6 million people aged over 60, including 12 million aged over 75 and 5 million aged over 85. It is in this demographic context that the concept of "frailty of the elderly" becomes crucial. Frailty is defined by a decrease in physiological reserve capacities which alters the mechanisms of adaptation to stress. Its clinical expression is modulated by comorbidities and psychological, social, economic and behavioral factors. The American Geriatrics Society's Frailty Task Force adopted the definition proposed by Fried et al (2001), considering frailty as a clinical syndrome defined by the presence of three or more of the following symptoms: - Involuntary weight loss - Self-reported subjective sense of exhaustion - Decreased muscle strength - Slow walking speed - Reduced physical activity This frailty phenotype is independently predictive at three years of falls, deterioration in walking or loss of functional autonomy for activities of daily living, hospitalization and death. The presence of one or two of the symptoms defines the pre-fragile state, whereas three symptoms correspond to frailty. However, there is considerable scientific evidence that these complications can be significantly reduced. Given these definitions, 45% of French people aged 65 or over are considered pre-fragile and 13% frail (IRDES study in 2012). The 2011 European study SHARE (Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe) estimates that 50% of French people over 65 are pre-fragile and 18% are frail. The two surveys converge in highlighting the greater frailty among women, an exponential increase with advancing age, and a higher prevalence in the case of a history of chronic diseases. Income and education levels may also be correlated with frailty risk, indicating social inequalities in frailty. Therefore, a major challenge in the coming years will be to test persons over 50 to detect pre-frailty and frailty and bring them back to robustness using targeted interventions if necessary. This was at the heart of our program at La Réunion. This project, financed by the CGSS and the ARS, has been conducted by the Borelli Centre and CEPED, in partnership with the IRD. This program attempted to put into practice in the field a largely automated quantitative approach for detection of pre-fragility and fragility states defined by L. Fried (see above). Indeed, these concepts and their corollary, robustness, are still largely based on clinical tests that are part of current medical practice since the 1990s. We therefore wished to revisit these tests in order to promote what can be defined as precision prevention for seniors and their entourage (family caregivers, medical and social professionals), at large scale, in the field. To this end, our program aimed to measure static balance, locomotion, muscular strength, prediction of falls, psychological tests in large population of outpatients, drawing on the skills of the Borelli center in the field of artificial intelligence, the IOT (Internet of Things) and clinical psychology. This approach led to the development and industrialization of Smartcheck, a digital tool that measures the physiological and psychological markers that define frailty and pre-fragility and which can be used by paramedics. Tested on 100 people in 2020, we will now validate this approach on 1200 persons in 2023 in the city of Lille. It remains that this quantification effort essentially concerns the person's sensorimotricity. In that context, the program that we are beginning in Lille consists also in broadening the basis of the robustness concept so that it takes into account more largely the psychological context and that it includes the socio-economic and cultural dimensions of the person we will monitor in the field.

ABSTRACT. First proposed by the French naturalist Buffon (1707-88) in the form "Le style, c'est l'homme lui-même" (style is the man himself) about eloquence. This terminology was then commonly used in literature and art history. Let us note that in the three cases, eloquence, writing, art crafts, style is a sensorimotor activity. We therefore propose to extend the concept to the field of physiology and more particularly to the field of sensorimotor transformations. We adopt the definition of perceptual-motor style as any distinctive and recognizable way of performing an action or processing a perception.

Why is it important to track perceptual-motor style over time? It is now recognized that the human species endangers its environment which, contrary to past beliefs, is not unlimited and infinite in resources. It is to the point that our survival would be at stake. Are human physiology and cognition not facing the same challenge as our natural environment? Where is it written that the human brain, musculoskeletal, digestive and vascular systems can still function in today's and tomorrow's environment? Could it be that we have reached the point where human evolution, in the Anthropocene, has put our bodies at risk, as effectively as we are destroying our environment? Obesity, psychiatric diseases, video game addiction, overwork, screen addiction, overtraining, doping, etc. must be seen in this context. In short, we are polar bears like any other.

In this context, it is therefore important to follow in the perceptive-motor style by longitudinal follow-up at any age because progress is accompanied by systemic physiological and psychological risks. These systemic risks can lead to frailty at any age and not only in the elderly. It is therefore necessary to assess systemic risks and to detect pre-fragile states in order to prevent them, by quantifying normal and pathological human behavior in the field and in simulators. This quantification leads to the compilation of interoperable databases at the origin of the person's digital twin, the key to individual longitudinal monitoring and to prevention and precision medicine

This quantitative monitoring of normal and pathological human behavior requires the use of measurements in the field. These measures will be detailed in PP Vidal's presentation on a program to prevent frailty in senior citizens in Reunion Island. This follow-up also involves behavioral measurements on simulators in the broadest sense of the word. Indeed, the methods of digitalization and dematerialization are progressing rapidly. They contribute to the development of more and more sophisticated virtual environments, such as video games, industrial simulators and more recently the metaverse. This point will be illustrated by the presentation of Y. James about the description of the behavior of operators in interaction with complex man-machine interfaces and in the field of learning involving these interfaces. Finally, the exploitation of data collected over time in the digital twins for prevention purposes calls for sophisticated statistical methods and AI. These methods will be illustrated by I. Bargiotas on a population of seniors who have never fallen and whose future risk of falling in the coming year is to be assessed.

ABSTRACT. Introduction It is estimated that 40-45% of adults worldwide have had or will have a sexual problem. Psychosexual treatments are considered effective and yet female untreated rates are high. It appears doubtful that the traditional ways of providing mental healthcare will be able to meet the existing demands. Avatar-based therapy might be a solution; therefore, the objective of this study is to design and test the efficacy, compared to a control group, of an avatar-based intervention for female orgasm disorder, adapted to be administered in Second Life. Method 217 women participated on a clinical evaluation to check if they matched the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for female orgasm disorder. Among them, 38 met the criteria and enrolled in the study. They were randomized between the intervention condition and the control group. This is an ongoing project, but there is pre-post available data for 14 participants: 8 women (age range 18-39; mean=27) took part in an avatar-based intervention group, and 6 women (age range 21-52; mean=32) were part of a control group based on minimum therapeutic contact. Intervention was based on the cognitive behavioral therapy approach (treatment with the most empirical evidence) and previous literature about FOD, and lasted 13 sessions, which were administered once a week. Treatment plans feature psychoeducation, cognitive restructuring, virtual exposure, and engagement in personal values. Control group consisted in individual educative sessions. Analysis was by intention-to-treat and the means between groups were compared with an ANCOVA. Results Significant between-group differences were found in sexual satisfaction, sexual function, sexual anxiety, and sexual self-esteem, favoring intervention. For sexual satisfaction, assessed with the Golombok Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction, the results showed a significant increase for the intervention group, going from low to high sexual satisfaction, and moving from one side to the other of the cut-off point; while the results from the control group remained stable. For sexual function, assessed with the Female Sexual Function Index, the results also showed a significant increase pre-post intervention, with the intervention group participants going from “presence of sexual disorder” to having a good sexual function, and the scores moving from one side to the other of the cut-off point; while the results from the control group remained stable. For sexual anxiety, assessed with the Sexual Anxiety scale of the Expanded Sexual Arousability Inventory, the results pre-intervention showed high levels of sexual anxiety, which significantly reduce after the treatment for intervention group, while the results from the control group remained stable. Finally, for sexual self-esteem, assessed with the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the results showed that the participants of the intervention group significantly went from having a poor sexual self-esteem, to having a good one, while the results from the control group remained stable. Participants of the intervention group reported some benefits, which go beyond those of internet-based counselling not based in virtual reality, including a modality of treatment that was very convenient and flexible, a secure and comfortable environment, or not having to go to a clinic in order to avoid the embarrassment that situation may produce. Treatment also helped with reducing participants’ sexual anxiety before practicing sexual acts in real life. In summary, they declared to be very satisfied with both the results and the treatment itself. Conclusions This avatar-based intervention using Second Life seems to be effective to improve some of the variables which may be related with maintenance of female orgasm disorder.

ABSTRACT. Introduction It is estimated that 40-45% of adults worldwide have had or will have a sexual problem. Psychosexual treatments are considered effective and yet female untreated rates are high. E-mental health might be a solution. Objective To design and test the efficacy of an app-based intervention for female orgasm disorder (FOD) adapted to be administered in Emjoy. Method After the sample recruitment process, a total of 797 women showed interest in the study; 57 of them participated in an initial evaluation to check if they matched the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for FOD. Among them, 36 met the criteria and enrolled in the study. A total of 21 participants finished the sessions: 11 women took part in an intervention group using the app Emjoy, and 10 were part of a control group based on minimum therapeutic contact. The intervention lasted eight weeks, during which participants practiced every day, and included different techniques, such as psychosexual education, cognitive restructuring through audios, guided practices, and sexual stimulation. A specific journey was created ad hoc inside the app for the FOD, which included a total of 275 minutes of audio-guided exercises planned to treat every item relevant to their disorder. Control group sessions consisted of individual informative talks. After the intervention, 19 participants attended the final evaluation to check the progress. 2 participants had to be removed from the treatment group sample because the app data showed that they had not been following the treatment journey. To keep the samples balanced, 3 participants were aleatorily removed from the control group sample. Thus, the total number of participants was 16: 8 women (age range 26-49; mean= 37) were part of the app intervention group (IG), and other 8 (age range 20-56; mean= 44) were part of the control group (CG). Analysis was by intention-to-treat and the means between groups were compared with an ANCOVA. Results Significant between-group differences were found in Sexual Satisfaction, Function, and Anxiety, favoring intervention. For sexual satisfaction, assessed with the Golombok Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction, the results showed a score of IG=51.45 and CG=56.02 before intervention and a score of IG=34.57 and GC=54.43 after (change 16.88 versus 1.59; p<0.01). For sexual function, assessed with the Female Sexual Function Index, the results showed a score of IG=54.09 and CG=49.28 pre-treatment, and a score of IG=69.14 and GC=47.80 post-treatment (change 15.05 versus 1.48; p<0.01). Finally, for Sexual Anxiety, assessed with the Sexual Anxiety scale of the Expanded Sexual Arousability Inventory, the results showed a score of IG= 55 and CG= 53.4 before intervention and a score of IG=27.43 and GC=54.1 after (change 27.57 versus -0.7; p<0.01). There were also no significant between-group differences in Sex-Guilt, and Initiative and Sexual Communication. Participants reported some benefits; first of all, the modality of treatment was rated as very convenient and flexible: they only needed their smartphone plus an internet connection to take part in the sessions, and they could access the app at any time that fitted their timetables. Second, participants felt comfortable as they avoided the embarrassment of going to a clinic. In summary, they declared to be very satisfied with both the results and the treatment itself. Conclusions This app-based intervention using Emjoy seems to be effective in improving some of the variables which may be related to the maintenance of FOD. To our knowledge, this is the first app-based intervention that focus solely on female sexual health, and that aims at treating those maintenance variables. Even though it cannot replace therapy, it appears as an interesting way to help women in reaching for help that, otherwise, they would not seek.

ABSTRACT. Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative disorders of our time, with a prevalence generally estimated at 0.3% of the total population in industrialized countries. It is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder after Alzheimer's Disease, and its prevalence increases with age, reaching 1% in people older than 60 years. PD is mainly characterized by motor dysfunctions such as resting tremor, bradykinesia, muscular rigidity, and abnormal posture and gait [1], but also involves a wider range of mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, and insomnia that are due both to the condition itself and the difficulties of living with PD or medication side effects [2,3]. To date, studies related to PD have focused more on the containment of motor symptoms and only a few on the reduction of depressive symptoms [4,5,6]. Research on positive resources in PD is still scarce compared to other chronic illnesses [7]. Nevertheless, increasing emotional and psychological well-being is critical in moderating the negative effect of chronic diseases, cognitive impairment, and even mortality [8,9,10]. To reach this goal a promising approach is represented by savoring. Savoring is the ability to live, appreciate and increase positive experiences [11,12] and it can be considered a tool through which people can capitalize on positive emotions and enhance their well-being [13,14]. Thus, savoring-based intervention could positively affect the emotional well-being of PD patients [15]. The present study aims at investigating the feasibility and preliminary effects of a savoring online intervention in increasing emotional well-being and life satisfaction and in decreasing depression and anxiety in PD patients. It also examines the user experience and usefulness perceived by patients. The study is ongoing (the study has been approved by an Ethical Committee) and consists of a randomized controlled study including the experimental group (the savoring online group) and the control group without treatment. Forty-six hospitalized patients of the Fresco Parkinson Center, Department of Parkinson’s disease, Movement Disorders & Brain Injury Rehabilitation, ‘Moriggia-Pelascini’ Hospital - Gravedona ed Uniti of Como will be enrolled. The intervention lasts 2 weeks and includes six sessions, each lasting about 15 minutes. In each session, participants of the experimental group listen a recorded audio, each focused on a different savoring strategy used to amplify and intensify the positive experience such as building positive memories, listing positive achievements, getting absorbed in the moment, sharing positive feelings with others, or anticipating positive moments and gifts. Both groups are invited to complete the questionnaires at baseline and after two weeks. Repeated measures ANOVA will be conducted to analyse the effects generated by the online savoring intervention and descriptive analysis will be performed to explore the user experience and the perceived usefulness. Given the important role played by well-being and positive emotions in the adaptation to chronic illness, understanding the effect of a savoring online intervention could be of particular interest.

ABSTRACT. Objectives. – This presentation aims to explore the issues that underlie the excessive use of video games in adolescence. Conquest video games include the ability to change, grow and (transform) as if the teenager were using the game as a double, as a glove that would turn around: the teenager takes the image for his mirror in investing the image and making it live. It is only when he is lost in this tense mirror by mirroring himself as Narcissus in front of his reflection that the risk of a confusion exists: the cleavage between the internal and external worlds is exerted by the rejection of the constraints of the external world, leading to withdrawal, loss of temporality, depression and other potential disorders. Patients and method. – From a psychodynamic perspective, we chose a clinical study to account for a particular fate of overuse of video games and the gradual transformation of this addiction. The clinical situation is presented in a non-exhaustive way but by highlighting the central periods in the practice of video games and the evolution of the young person in his object investments as well as in the transfero- counter-transferential link. Results. – The clinical case presented leads to think that the image was the holding-place of auxiliary psychic space, the time to discover the pleasure and the conflictuality of the sexual and sentimental ‘‘addiction’’, the time to rediscover the object of his passion. Anguish of abandonment and dependence on the object are now represented, enacted in living bonds; he does not feel anymore, except in the case of short depressive episodes, the desire to fall back on a world of images. Conclusions. – Playing with images is about creating a space for mastering internal objects, using a medium. By analogy, we can compare the daydream to a game with images, like the video game to a form of daydream: in both cases, it is question of exploration of potential worlds with the help of object representation, in a psychic space with vast potentialities. In this time of transition, the illusion space maintains the fantasy that everything remains possible. The sense of control that the use of the game allows feeds an omnipotent illusion still necessary; this space of illusion recalls the journey of the infant faced with the tension between the hallucinatory way of satisfaction and taking into account the reality principle.

ABSTRACT. For this presentation we propose a systematic meta-analytical review in accordance with PRISMA recommendations about the digital psychological assessment. Research on digital psychological tests has mainly focused on self-administered or group-administered tests, which takes us far away from our questioning of individual psychological assessment. Some recent research has focused on the WISC-V child and WAIS-IV adolescent and adult intellectual efficiency tests that have had a digital version now through Pearson's Q-Interactive platform since 2014. For this Pearson clinical offering, the digital administration is intended to be conducted in a face-to-face setting, with the test being administered using two iPad tablets: one is intended to show the stimuli to the patients and the other displays the instructions, scoring criteria and timer for the clinician. In contrast, the cubes remain manipulable and code, symbols and barrage are offered in a paper-and-pencil format because even though the digital option exists, equivalence studies show clear processing differences for digital and paper versions of the Processing Speed Index subtests (DiMiceli, J. M. 2020). When digital tests are adaptations of paper tests, as is the case for most tests on Q-Interactive, publishers are required to show whether the norms and other psychometric qualities are applicable to the digital versions. According to Daniel, M., & Wahlstrom, D. (2019) equivalence is important because it ensures the meaning of test results. Carefully developed standards are also an important investment to preserve. Equivalence has two facets: construct equivalence, i.e. measuring the same thing, and raw score equivalence. The authors explain that digital versions of a test can have construct equivalence by adapting the presentation of the stimuli to take advantage of the potential of digital technology, but in order to achieve raw score equivalence the adaptation must be as faithful as possible to the traditional version to avoid too great a discrepancy that would deprive the digital version of the standards validated by a sample based on traditional administration. Daniel, M., & Wahlstrom, D. (2019) point out that clinicians need to be aware that differences exist between the digital and paper versions of the WISC-V and that there can be no absolute equivalence. The solution might be to create digital tests directly and calibrate them so as not to just transpose the paper format to digital but to design tools that take advantage of the specific characteristics of digital in their construction. After a review of the initial literature, we found that most of the work focuses on the use of the digital version of the Wechsler scales in a quest to verify the equivalence of the different modes of administration. The classic approach to evaluation in this context consists of seeking equivalence of construction but also, more often than not, equivalence of raw scores in order to benefit from the metric qualities of the original tests and their calibration. To take advantage of the novel situation of immersion offered by digital tools in order to explore new aspects of the subjects' psychological reality. The digital psychological assessment, without claiming to replace traditional methods, deserves to be studied in order to highlight more precisely its limits but also its potential richness according to the specific clinical situations where it is deployed.

ABSTRACT. Objectives. – Thinking about the future and building a project for life after their time in care proves to be an arduous task for adolescents who have spent several years in a psychiatric day hospital. This process is complex due to a multitude of intertwining factors. How are they to form a project for the future? The mechanism at the day hospital where we intervened with the aim of helping the young people there with this task has evolved progressively. A discussion group doomed to fail for many years has been replaced by an Internet workgroup, which, with the help of human-machine interaction allowed a positive outcome. Patients and method. – We present the journey of a group of adolescents which made it possible to reconsider the arrangements proposed for accompanying them at the time of their release, while trying to elucidate the specificity of a mediation using a virtual support. The group is made un of teenagers between 14 and 19 years old who have diagnosis of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders and have been hospitalised in the psychiatric centre for an average duration of two years. We proposed to this group of teenagers a weekly session of group discussion mediated by computers. Results. – After a year of digital mediation with these adolescents, we have noticed a great improvement in their ability to socialize and better results in professional orientation research. Conclusions. – Using computers as a mediation in communication allows psychotic patients to feel less persecuted by the gaze of the other and gives them the opportunity to work more effectively with the objectives set in the end of the care in psychiatric day hospital.

ABSTRACT. Background: The addiction to video games of young people aged 15 to 25 is often associated with and disorders of the Asperger's autistic sphere, social phobia disorders, school phobias. These young people have the distinction of also presenting a High Intellectual Potential. Most of these young people are at odds with the traditional education system (high school, higher education) and the solution for some diagnosed addicted to video games is hospitalization with or without medication (psychotropic). Objective: This action research project aims to explore the possibilities of an alternative care proposal, The School of Heroes aims to use the digital lever, through the design of a video game, as a factor of social inclusion but also by promoting a positive investment in the psychological care offered in parallel (groups psychotherapeutic speech, individual monitoring). Methods: The general hypothesis is as follows: young people suffering from addiction to video games can transform, with appropriate help, this predilection harmful for digital technology into a beneficial investment, both in terms of their personal development and in terms of social inclusion. We thus wish to fight against the exclusion of these young people by helping them to avoid the trap of confinement in the virtual worlds to arrive at a use of digital technology as an opening to the world. Research protocol - This socio-therapeutic support has a total duration of 6 months and we would like to offer it to a maximum of 5 patients. Patients are selected according to the age criterion (16-25 years) and the diagnosis of video game disorder (ICD criteria of the WHO). Before starting the experiment, an evaluation protocol is set up in order to be able to have data on their psychological functioning before and after. Results: Patients will become “students” and will be supervised by a Game Designer, coder and artistic director, professor at the École des Gobelins, who himself experienced these difficulties: who will receive them daily in order to train them in digital creation. In addition, twice a week, a psychologist, will lead discussion groups and provide individual follow-up for patients. English lessons will be offered online in connection with the "Reddit" forum which brings together most of the English-speaking communities on video game culture. Finally, one conference per month will be offered by personalities from the digital worlds. The School of Heroes is therefore aimed at a weakened population and at the same time possessing digital skills to whom it is necessary to restore confidence through a group dynamic carrying a meaningful project, motivating and inscribed in reality, in order to help them reintegrate socially and revalue themselves narcissistically. Conclusions: The final evaluation will make it possible to adjust this exploratory device in order to improve it and to propose its dissemination so that other initiatives can emerge across France and even internationally if the results are conclusive.

ABSTRACT. Goals. The research goals are: (1) computational text analysis of famous speeches of Russian political figures: Peter the Great [1672–1725], Vladimir Ilyich Lenin [1870–1924], Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin [1878–1953], Vladimir Vladimirovich Zhirinovsky [1946–2022]; (2) the study of psychological personality traits of leaders who have an oratorical impact on the listening social group. Methods. The data for the analysis were the leaders' speeches, which were delivered in similar situations – in front of the troops to raise morale before decisive moments in state history: Peter the Great's Poltava speech (1709); Vladimir Lenin's the appeal to the Red Army (1919); Joseph Stalin's speech on the 24th Anniversary of the October Revolution (1941); Vladimir Zhirinovsky's speech on the occasion of the events in Georgia (2008). The source of data was the texts in Russian and the texts translated into English. The texts were analyzed in terms of the unconscious emotional impact of the leader's speech on the mass audience. The lexical emotional coloring and semantic analysis of the background were also carried out. Text-based semantic analysis was conducted using the psycholinguistic expert system VAAL(2000). The personality and psychological qualities of the speaker were identified. Additionally, we generated synthetic text data using ChatGPT (Open AI; USA), using engineering prompts (questions) about (a) the positive tone of political leaders' speeches and (2b) positive behavior, positive attitude, mental health, well-being from ones. Then we applied an emotion-based text classification using a pre-trained BERT model (BERT-base-uncased-finetuned-emotion: precision 0.9454; F1 0.9458; loss 0.1476) from the synthetic texts (ChatGPT's responses). This processing pipeline was designed as an advanced approach to obtaining computational insights into emotional leadership behavior. Results. Qualitative indicators were obtained (1) based on the ranking (rating) of leaders' personality characteristics on the basis of real texts (speeches) by means of emotional-lexical assessment and (2) based on the ranking of synthetic text classification (ChatGPT response) (2a) by the positive tone of a leader's specific speech and (2b) synthetic integral indicator of "joy" (positive behavior, positive attitude, mental health, well-being). Qualitative ratings on the "benevolence" scale (expert system (VAAL) coincided with the positive tone and the integral indicator of "joy". Conclusion. By the computational analysis of the leaders' speech test by the expert system VAAL and by the text classification the synthetic tests ranking of all leaders coincided. This indicates that the level of development of decision support systems using large language models (LLM/AI) is approaching the level of expert systems. With the further development of AI-technology there are great prospects for its use as a system for assessing the personal characteristics of public leaders. Acknowledgement: the research was prepared ... Note: the full paper (file) will be uploaded.

ABSTRACT. Creative HCI are developing extremely fast in 2022. Humans and machine intelligence need cooperation and collaboration, which arise when artificial models (e.g., such as « Zero-Shot Text-to-Image Generation»: DALL-E; CLIP) can already act as a part of ecosystem of intelligences, as a member in a hybrid team. Text-to-image applications being type of creative HCI tool provide useful assistance, creative experience and technical advantages. Any creator and engineer can get the power of keywords which are be entered as a prompt with meaning for calculation digital drawing. Artworks of art by Gustav Klimt and neuroornament inspired this initiative to create a library of images (called GALA), which becomes a creative example of HCI and an object-material for further research on interaction and perception. GALA, Generative Art Library's Abstractions, is a public library of AI-generated images for applied research in the cyber-psychological community (CYPSY). Case examples. No. 1. Interactive perception of positively colored generative images, life satisfaction and well-being in the diagnostic mobile app. One example is a study of positive personality based on image perception. In doing so, we relied on the context (prompt) of the generated image and used a set of images in the same color scheme to exclude the influence of the emotional component on the color choice, as well as the semantic artistic theme of the abstract picture. Polar keywords such as "life – death", "fear – courage", "love – hate", etc. were used as context for prompting "at the entrance" (Supplementary). No. 2. HCI dialogs using visual language. The second example is the use of images in terms of visual language. Emotional visual interaction plays an important role in HCI R&D by providing a collaborative environment and improving team communication. The concept of HCI dialogue in teams is supported by visual dialogues. A prepared interactive framework allows users to interact with each other using a visual language (VL). A VL is some abstraction and/or symbol used in dialogs as words, similar to verbal dialogs with names, words or phrases; it is represented as a set of 2D cards with images from GALA library. The appearance of the card is a manifestation of the new VL with artistic symbols. The novelty of the application lies in the new VL-based in-group communication protocol, which speeds up the working processes in a single, collective and coherent group field. No. 3. Moods in VR settings. The mood-colored images (GALA) were implemented in a VR space, where virtual rooms with different "emotional" settings were developed. Users virtually can enter the atmosphere of abstract artistic images decorating the interior space and passively interact with them. At the same time, it allows to assess the pleasantness and rejection of users' choice of rooms of interest with a certain mood. On the one hand, this is one example of the use of generative imagery in VR study. On the other hand, a similar approach can be used by the researchers in other multimedia environments. Conclusion. The results were used to select state-of-the-art images and uploaded to the GALA library (github; Supplement - Figures), which is available to the CYPSY community. They can be used for benchmarking, end-to-end evaluation, and advanced design. We can emphasize that these digital fingerprints are valuable as cyber art objects and as starting points for organizing and designing new research. The above examples (above) may reveal just a few possibilities for using AI-generated creative art content for to explore CYPSY in greater depth. Respectfully, GALA is a valuable visualization resource for next-generation R&D in multimedia HCI. Any inputs and suggestions from the CYPSY community are welcome.

ABSTRACT. In the past decade digital interventions based on serious games have emerged as an effective therapeutic tool for several areas of mental health. In clinical psychology the use of technologies has been developed in the field of various treatments and less for the assessment of psychological dimensions. While traditional assessment methods in clinical psychology have high validity and reliability, they may lack ecological validity, ability to capture real-life behaviours. In addition, they’re limited by the subjective perceptions of the clinician conducting the assessment, leading to inconsistencies in diagnoses. Digital behaviour biomarkers have the potential to improve psychological assessment by providing objective data of human behaviour observed in cyberspace and analysed by machine learning algorithms. This method allows us to evaluate not only the current psychological state, but also stable personality traits. Stable traits can be measured with stealth assessment by designing tasks or situations within a game that produce observable indicators of the traits, without directly asking users to self-report information about their personality or behaviour. In the current study we’re planning to analyse digital behaviour biomarkers of participants through the framework of Grawe’s consistency model of four basic psychological needs. According to Grawe all human beings attempt to fulfil some basic psychological needs in congruence with their motivations, memories of past experiences and actual aims. He identified four basic psychological needs (attachment, self-esteem, control, and pleasure) for optimal psychological functioning, each of these needs are associated with specific stable traits. Grawe proposes that stable traits may be linked to the occurrence of anxiety and depression. Assessing stable traits can be useful in identifying individuals who may be at risk of anxiety and depression, and in developing interventions meeting their specific needs. The use of digital behaviour biomarkers may provide an objective way to assess these stable traits.

This study follows previous research exploring the use of serious games to assess the aforementioned needs through the related stable traits. Current study aims to create a serious game, in Android and web formats, that enable the assessment of stable traits through the use of metaphors and scenarios designed within the games, which can then be analysed to identify potential behaviour biomarkers of anxiety and depression. The study aims to enhance the effectiveness of trait assessment by providing an engaging environment that enables the observation of human behaviour in the digital space through games. Our methodology will explore the connection between stable traits and the possible occurrence of depressive and anxiety disorders by selecting the traits that may be related. Next, we will search for methodologies to measure and assess these traits. Once this basic framework is established, we will design scenarios and metaphors that take into account traits and related behaviour biomarkers inside a game and develop the 2D game itself. We plan to conduct a study on 150 consenting adult participants, assessing each of the traits and collecting comparison data for each. Data collection will be performed before gameplay sessions using questionnaires, as well as in the sessions using gameplay data and stealth assessment of the traits following the designed scenarios and metaphors. This will be followed by statistical analysis of the correlation between traditional tools' scores and the game metrics. Finally, we will draw conclusions based on the results. Our study proposes a novel way to assess mental health. We hope the implementation of game elements will have a positive impact on mental health care practices, and that the defined behaviour biomarkers linked to the stable traits will help to improve earlier diagnosis for depression and anxiety disorders, ultimately leading to better outcomes and quality of life for patients.

ABSTRACT. Virtual reality (VR) allows the simulation of real-life situations to investigate complex human behavior in a highly controlled setting. This tool is increasingly used in the assessment and the treatment of psychiatric or psychological disorders (e.g., anxiety, eating disorders, addictions, specific phobias (for reviews and meta-analyses, see Cieślik et al., 2020; Dellazizzo et al., 2020). VR technology relies on the ability to induce emotional responses, cognitions and behaviors similar to those experienced in reality (Parsons, 2015). Then, the sense of presence is generally considered a necessary mediator for inducing emotions, cognitions and behaviors during immersion in VR (Diemer et al., 2015; Price et al., 2011). Presence is a dimensional construct that describes the cognitive feeling (Schubert, 2009) or a perceptual illusion (Slater, 2009) of “being there” in the VR environment. Many conceptions of presence and its assessment have emerged. Unfortunately, the conceptualization of the sense of presence is still subject to debates. Further, although several self-reported presence questionnaires already exist, most of them do not rely on any theoretical model and very few of them are validated in French. Consequently, in this communication, we propose (1) a modern and integrative conceptualization of presence based on the literature, and the (2) the creation of a new questionnaire to assess presence. Based on the existing literature, we developed a 63-items questionnaire (i.e., Self-Reported Presence Questionnaire). We recruited 607 adults from the general population, aged between 18 and 50 years, between March 2019 and August 2021. Exclusion criteria were color blindness, brain injury (e.g., tumor, surgery), epilepsy, cancer, hepatic disease, and carbon intoxication. Participants were randomly assigned to the VR “Awake”, “Anxiety”, or “Alcohol” environment. Participants in the “Alcohol” VR environment were also required to drink at least one alcoholic drink per month (AUDIT score>0). Participants were tested one by one in a small, quiet room during a session lasting about 45 min. They were informed that the aim of the study was to validate a new questionnaire of presence in the general population. After signing a consent form, participants complete a demographic and medical questionnaire, the ITQ, VR familiarity questionnaire, the SSQ, and the STAI-Y A. Depending on the experimental condition, participants were asked to complete the KSS and the Pichot scale (awakeness-related environment) or the alcohol craving scale (alcohol-related environment). After receiving some instructions, the participants were invited to start the immersion. They were immersed either in the bar, in the snowballs environment or the villa. Once the time was up, participants removed the helmet and were asked to fill in questionnaires related to the environment: KSS and Pichot scale (awakeness-related environment), STAI-Y A (anxiety-related environment) or craving scale and AUDIT (alcohol-related environment). They then completed the SSQ, the Gatineau Presence Questionnaire, and the new Self-Reported Presence Questionnaire. The current study used confirmatory factor analysis to validate the Self-Reported Presence Questionnaire and path analysis method for investigating the integrative model. Concerning the new questionnaire, the internal consistency was acceptable in all dimensions (ω ranging from 0.75 to 0.91). expect for the visual and interactivity dimension in the craving group. Further, after item selection, the goodness-of-fit indices for the model in each experimental condition were acceptable, with the exception of the RMSEA of the Awake condition. Then, it seems like the new Self-Reported Presence Questionnaire could accurately assess the sense of presence in French-speaking participants. Concerning the new model of presence, it had a moderate level of predictive accuracy for all dimensions of presence, absorption and flow (except in anxiety condition) in each environment. All results will be further discussed during the conference as well as their experimental and clinical perspectives.

ABSTRACT. Background: Compassion-based interventions (CBI) have been recognized as a potential transdiagnostic intervention by targeting maladaptive processes contributing to psychopathology and by activating affiliative processing systems to foster better mental health and well-being. Despite advances in compassion research showing great benefits on mental health, little is known about their working mechanisms and how they can be enhanced. Compassion practice falls into the constructive category of meditative practice, where mental imagery abilities are essential. During compassion meditation practice, the individual is invited to use mental imagery to direct feelings of warmth, nurture and benevolence towards the self. Thus, the quality of compassion practice can be defined as the capacity of the practitioner to “(1) produce mental imagery (in terms of generation, maintenance, inspection, and transformation/manipulation of the mental images) and (2) activate somatosensory component of compassion to evoke and sustain a compassionate state”. Surprisingly enough, no studies have intended to foster mental imagery capacities in order to enhance the clinical effectiveness of compassion practice. Only few efforts have targeted the activation of the somatosensory component via pharmacological pathway by either using 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine (MDMA)/ “ecstasy”, or intra-nasal oxytocin, without considering the mental imagery component. Immersive technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR) can be a very useful tool to overcome mental imagery-related limitations during compassion practice. VR allows to create virtual and fully immersive worlds, making the person feeling present and real, and has been applied in the treatment of numerous mental health disorders. Specifically, regarding compassion practice, from one side it can facilitate the creation, sustainment, inspection, and transformation of mental images during compassion practice but also boost the activation of somatosensory pathways with multisensory integration, and therefore help to achieve therapeutic goals. Until now only very few studies have been using VR in compassion training; and to the authors’ knowledge, no studies have been using VR to enhance compassion in Tonglen, a specific compassion practice that uses a high amount of mental imagery.

Objectives: This study aims to describe the developed VR environment and to provide some preliminary data on feasibility.

Methodology and results: 10 participants will be invited to practice one compassion session supported by the VR environment. They will attend to one laboratory session and complete the following baseline and post-self-report measurements: positive and negative affect, compassion, and self-criticism states. Also, the following post-test measurements will be collected: usability, satisfaction questionnaire, presence, and reality judgment questionnaires.

Conclusions: Although the compassion field is still in their “adolescence phase”, by finding innovative ways to enhance compassion we aim to gain more understanding of the underlying mechanisms of compassion practice and bring more individual and social well-being to the world.

ABSTRACT. The minimal Self refers to the subject of the pre-reflexive experience of the world, anchored in one’s body. The Self acts as a processing bias that modulates cognition, especially episodic memory, i.e. the memory of personally experienced events, unique and located in time and space, that can be recalled with specific details. Studies had demonstrated in healthy subjects that stronger minimal Self lead to better episodic memory. Given that minimal Self disorders are a core feature of the schizophrenia spectrum, and that episodic memory deficits are associated with the pathology, we investigated whether the minimal Self modulated episodic memory in patients with a first episode of psychosis (FEP), i.e. who experienced psychotic symptoms (hallucinations, delusions, disorganised speech or behaviour) at high intensity and frequency for the first time. The hypothesis was that patients with a FEP would not experience episodic memory improvement with stronger embodiment compared to weaker embodiment, since their Self-disorders would impair the modulation of episodic memory by the minimal Self. The recruitment is ongoing (N=30 per group); 20 healthy young adults (55% men, 23.2 ± 4.5 y.o.) and 7 patients with a FEP (57% men, 20.7 ± 3.4 y.o.) have been enrolled so far. Immersive virtual reality enabled manipulating the minimal Self via the embodiment of a virtual avatar. The illusion of embodiment was induced before each navigation by a visuomotor stimulation facing a virtual mirror, with either synchronous or asynchronous (visual feedback with a 650 ms delay between the participant’s movements and those of the avatar) stimulation, inducing a strong or weak sense of embodiment, respectively, and therefore a stronger or weaker minimal Self. Indeed, the spatiotemporal synchronicity and coherence of multisensory and motor signals are necessary to ensure a correct multimodal integration, on which the minimal Self relies. Immersive virtual reality also provided a controlled experimental environment, with immersive 3D and multisensory naturalistic life scenes. Participants were immersed via a virtual reality headset in a city and visited two neighbourhoods in separate navigations, embodying from a first-person perspective a generic avatar matched with their gender, synchronous in one navigation and asynchronous in the other, and encountered daily life events that were incidentally encoded in memory. Questionnaires assessing embodiment (subcomponents: ownership, self-location, agency), presence, and cybersickness were completed after each navigation. Participants then performed a recognition memory task assessing the memory of objective (what, when, where, source, and binding – a measure of associative memory) and subjective (perspective, fidelity, emotional intensity, self-reference) information, and the degree of recollection (Remember/Know judgments). Preliminary analyses were performed on the data collected so far using 2x2 Group (controls/patients) x Avatar synchronisation (synchronous/asynchronous) ART-ANOVAs. There was a marginally significant interaction for self-location, suggesting higher scores for synchronous avatar than asynchronous i.e. successful manipulation of embodiment – further suggested by a marginally significant effect of synchronisation on ownership, using paired t-tests independently of the group – and higher scores for patients than controls, which could reflect an altered, more malleable, minimal Self in patients. As for memory scores, there was a significant interaction for the number of events recognised (“hits”): there was no group difference in asynchronous condition, and no synchronisation condition difference for controls, but fewer hits in synchronous condition for patients, suggesting lower memory performance with higher embodiment for patients as compared to controls. Preliminary results suggested that patients with a FEP might not experience episodic memory enhancement by the minimal Self. Developing prevention and treatment that aim at reinforcing the minimal Self (e.g. body-oriented psychotherapy) could, therefore, be an important lead to slow down episodic memory impairments, and other symptoms linked to Self-disorders, before the evolution towards chronic schizophrenia.

ABSTRACT. Abstract. Many studies comparing in-person therapy with telehealth online resulted in participants reporting improvements in anxiety, better access to support and advice, greater satisfaction with the support they received, and improvements in self-management and health literacy. Comparatively, Awareness Integration Theory (AIT) has created a comprehensive cyberpsychology and telehealth model that can be narrated in multiple languages and cultural competencies to proactively address the scarcity of global mental health resources. Numerous studies on the use of AIT have validated its effectiveness in reducing depression and anxiety while increasing self-esteem and self-efficacy in in-person psychotherapy and self-help journaling modalities. Due to the Covid19 pandemic, the AIT therapeutic model has been redesigned for virtual audiences through telehealth, and a mobile App, and is utilized in Mental Health courses in universities across the globe, enabling a greater population to benefit from similar positive results. The modular construct of AIT can be taught online and in virtual modes in self-improvement areas like empowerment, self-reliance, autonomy, self-efficacy, and personal responsibility. The proposed paper demonstrates how AIT can be applied virtually as a self-help model or by a trained facilitator in helping individuals learn how to examine each particular component of their life, including all relationships while learning essential skills in restoring vulnerable areas of self and finally gaining skills in creating healthier building blocks to reach a holistic self and a fulfilling life.