This project looked at the efficacy of virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) using gamification as a treatment for acrophobia. Acrophobia, or fear of heights, is a widespread phobia that can have a negative influence on a person's quality of life. The study recruited participants who confessed to having a fear of heights but were not diagnosed with acrophobia by a specialist. For the development of the concept, the Design Thinking Process was applied.
The research method used was triangulation and the participants were evaluated through observations while playing Richie’s Plank Experience, acrophobia
questionnaires and surveys. The results of the study showed that gamification plays an important role in the development of a concept within the psychological industry. Also, the immersiveness and presence of virtual reality make VRET very effective.
The final concept is a virtual reality exposure therapy game for acrophobic people called “Level Up”, the name being a reference to the game itself. The concept is based on the idea of traveling to some of the most famous places in the world, and it is divided into six levels. Applying the exposure therapy technique preferred in the survey and the most commonly used for phobias, the six levels are placed with the aim of gradual exposure on a scale from low height (level 1) to big height (level 6).
The game is developed on the technology of three degrees of freedom (3 DoF), with the goal of reaching and being adopted by more and more therapists in their exposure therapy sessions. The fact that it is developed on 3DoF makes the product suitable for older generations of VR headsets or for VR headsets for mobile, which results in an affordable price for virtual reality equipment and a larger number of users.
