For individuals stricken with social phobias, venturing out into public situations may seem impossible, but researchers in the Netherlands say a series of medical and psychological animations may be able to mute the fear of social situations.
Social anxiety is relatively common in the U.S. More than 12 percent of American adults will suffer from a social phobia - meaning "a persistent, intense and chronic fear of being watched and judged by others and feeling embarrassed or humiliated by their actions" - over their lifetimes, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
The Dutch research team, which hails from the Delft University of Technology, noted that social phobias tend to be more debilitating and disruptive to a person's daily existence than other acute fears. They said that unlike flying or heights, social situations are much harder to totally avoid.
To see if a virtual environment could diagnose such a fear, the group created a visualization in which the viewer is presented with a crowded computer-animated movie theater. The subject is then asked about their preference for sitting in certain empty chairs as their avatar moves about the room.
Researchers reported that the simulation diagnosed three cases of marked social phobia.
Social anxiety is relatively common in the U.S. More than 12 percent of American adults will suffer from a social phobia - meaning "a persistent, intense and chronic fear of being watched and judged by others and feeling embarrassed or humiliated by their actions" - over their lifetimes, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
The Dutch research team, which hails from the Delft University of Technology, noted that social phobias tend to be more debilitating and disruptive to a person's daily existence than other acute fears. They said that unlike flying or heights, social situations are much harder to totally avoid.
To see if a virtual environment could diagnose such a fear, the group created a visualization in which the viewer is presented with a crowded computer-animated movie theater. The subject is then asked about their preference for sitting in certain empty chairs as their avatar moves about the room.
Researchers reported that the simulation diagnosed three cases of marked social phobia.
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