Not nauseous, but motivated: Children immerse readily in virtual reality
Virtual reality is increasingly being studied in therapeutic contexts. While most studies have focused on adults, children may also stand to benefit. PhD researcher Nina Krupljanin is investigating how young people experience virtual environments – and the findings are encouraging.
Overcome your fear of heights without ever setting foot on a skyscraper? Tackle a dog phobia without stroking a single furry companion? Or listen to the experiences of others without having to share your own? With therapeutic virtual reality (VR), users can be immersed in lifelike situations to practise navigating challenging scenarios – all within the safety of a headset.
Snelle hartslag
Nina Krupljanin, a PhD candidate at the Institute of Child and Education Studies, is researching the effectiveness of immersive VR interventions for young people. 'We’re finding that these environments can evoke real emotional responses – including an increased heart rate – even when users rationally know they’re not in any real danger,' she explains. 'This gives people the chance to gradually confront difficult emotions, helping to ease them into facing such challenges in real life.'
Bringing VR to the young
Therapeutic applications of VR have gained traction in recent years, with growing evidence for their potential. But most of the research has focused on adults. 'There’s still a gap in our understanding of how children experience VR,' says Krupljanin. 'That’s why, before developing a VR intervention for younger users, we first wanted to understand how they respond to the technology.' In a recent study, Krupljanin and her colleagues tested the use of VR headsets with 85 young people aged between 8 and 17. 'Adults sometimes report side effects like dizziness or headaches. So we examined any symptoms children experienced before and after VR, how motivated they were, whether they found the headset comfortable, and if they truly felt ‘present’ in the virtual world. These are crucial factors for any successful intervention.'
Immersive, intuitive and engaging
The young participants were assessed both before and after their experience, which involved wearing a VR headset and interacting in a cartoon-style environment. 'For instance, they might hear a sound to their right – we wanted to see if they instinctively looked in that direction. Did they understand the cues?' The results were promising. Children reported minimal to no symptoms, found the headset comfortable, and understood the tasks with ease. Despite the stylised nature of the virtual world, many still felt fully immersed.
Digitally literate
One possible explanation, Krupljanin suggests, is that today’s young people are more digitally literate. 'They tend to ask fewer questions and are more willing to explore through trial and error. Growing up with digital media seems to foster curiosity and reduce fear of making mistakes.' Importantly, all the children were highly motivated to take part – a key predictor of treatment success. 'Motivation significantly boosts the likelihood that a therapeutic intervention will be effective,' she notes.
A VR path to self-compassion
Krupljanin’s current research focuses on a VR-based intervention she developed to help reduce trauma-related feelings of shame. The programme – known as SHINE-VR (Shame Intervention Virtual Reality) – offers a brief but immersive experience designed to build self-compassion.
'In SHINE-VR, participants enter a virtual world where they learn about shame and how to apply self-compassion,' she says. 'They interact with virtual peers who have also experienced interpersonal trauma, discussing shared themes and difficult emotions. This helps them feel understood and less alone. In another part of the VR experience, users practise speaking kindly to themselves, applying what they’ve learned. 'It’s about creating a safe and emotionally resonant environment,' Krupljanin explains. 'One where young people can begin to rewrite their inner dialogue – not just in the virtual world, but in their everyday lives.'