Virtual RealityNCT07314788
Empathy and Virtual Reality (VR)
A study testing Fear-inducing Virtual Reality (VR) experience and Neutral Virtual Reality (VR) experience in people with Virtual Reality and Fear, run by University of Miami at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
This study will characterize the subjective and physiological changes associated with empathy following a fear-inducing virtual reality (VR) experience. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 25 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Virtual Reality, Fear
- What is being tested?
- Fear-inducing Virtual Reality (VR) experience and Neutral Virtual Reality (VR) experience
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 110 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 15 Apr 2026to 31 May 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 25 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- College-aged adults (18-25 years old)
- English-speaking
- Normal or corrected vision.
- Able to provide consent.
Who cannot join
- Presence of a significant and/or unstable medical illness (e.g., cardiovascular disease, cancer, neurological disorder) or head trauma (e.g., concussion).
- Additional exclusion criteria apply to virtual reality (VR):
- VR contraindications: epilepsy, migraines, flu, sleep deprivation, etc.
- More than minimal VR experience assessed via self-report (e.g., How often have you used virtual reality in the past? 0=never, 6=very frequently)
- Extreme phobia of heights and/or spiders will be assessed using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5) specific phobia subscale.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
About this study
This study will characterize the subjective and physiological changes associated with empathy following a fear-inducing virtual reality (VR) experience.
- Conditions
- Virtual Reality, Fear
- Being tested
- Fear-inducing Virtual Reality (VR) experience, Neutral Virtual Reality (VR) experience
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Fear-inducing Virtual Reality (VR) experienceBehavioural
Participants will complete a single virtual reality (VR) exposure involving a fear-inducing scenario (e.g., walking a plank above a high-rise building or canyon).
Neutral Virtual Reality (VR) experienceBehavioural
Participants will complete a single virtual reality (VR) exposure involving a fear-inducing scenario (e.g., walking to the edge of a curb at street level).
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Fear-inducing Virtual Reality (VR) experience | Experimental | Participants will complete a single virtual reality (VR) exposure lasting approximately 1-2 minutes, involving a fear-inducing scenario (e.g., walking a plank above a high-rise building or canyon). Receives: Behavioral: Fear-inducing Virtual Reality (VR) experience |
| Neutral Virtual Reality (VR) experience | Active comparator | Participants will complete a single virtual reality (VR) exposure lasting approximately 1-2 minutes, involving a neutral scenario (e.g., walking to the edge of a curb at street level). Receives: Behavioral: Neutral Virtual Reality (VR) experience |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in self-reported empathy scores
Participant will view videos of other individuals undergoing a fear-inducing virtual reality (VR) experience and will self-report level of empathy on a scale 0=not at all to 10=extremely. Average empathy ratings will be compared pre-VR and post-VR.
Measured: Baseline (prior to VR experience) and approximately 5 minutes post-VR experience.
Change in heart rate
Average heart rate (beats/minute) will be collected while watching videos of other individuals undergoing a fear-inducing virtual reality (VR) experience and will be compared pre-VR and post-VR.
Measured: Baseline (prior to VR experience) and approximately 5 minutes post-VR experience.
Secondary outcomes (1)
Change in the correlation between self-reported anxiety scores of self and another
Participant will view videos of other individuals undergoing a fear-inducing virtual reality (VR) experience and will self-report level of anxiety on self and other on a scale 0=not at all, 10=extremely. Anxiety ratings of self and another will be correlated and compared pre-VR and post-VR. Greater correlation will reflect greater alignment of anxiety.
Measured: Baseline (prior to VR experience) and approximately 5 minutes post-VR experience.
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted2 Jan 2026
- Study start15 Apr 2026
- Primary completion31 May 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion31 May 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Virtual RealityStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 110 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Miami
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Jennifer Britton, University of Miami
- Investigators
- Jennifer Britton, Ph.D., Principal investigator, University of Miami
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07314788
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 20241195
- Status last verified
- Apr 2026
- First submitted
- 18 Dec 2025
- Last updated
- 16 Apr 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 16 Apr 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Empathy and Virtual Reality (VR)
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07314788
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 20241195
- Conditions
- Virtual Reality, Fear
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Enrolling by invitation
- Enrolment
- 110 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University of MiamiUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 15 Apr 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 May 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 31 May 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 2 Jan 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study will characterize the subjective and physiological changes associated with empathy following a fear-inducing virtual reality (VR) experience.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Fear-inducing Virtual Reality (VR) experience | Experimental | Behavioral: Fear-inducing Virtual Reality (VR) experienceParticipants will complete a single virtual reality (VR) exposure lasting approximately 1-2 minutes, involving a fear-inducing scenario (e.g., walking a plank above a high-rise building or canyon). |
| Neutral Virtual Reality (VR) experience | Active comparator | Behavioral: Neutral Virtual Reality (VR) experienceParticipants will complete a single virtual reality (VR) exposure lasting approximately 1-2 minutes, involving a neutral scenario (e.g., walking to the edge of a curb at street level). |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 25 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- College-aged adults (18-25 years old)
- English-speaking
- Normal or corrected vision.
- Able to provide consent.
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Presence of a significant and/or unstable medical illness (e.g., cardiovascular disease, cancer, neurological disorder) or head trauma (e.g., concussion).
- VR contraindications: epilepsy, migraines, flu, sleep deprivation, etc.
- More than minimal VR experience assessed via self-report (e.g., How often have you used virtual reality in the past? 0=never, 6=very frequently)
- Extreme phobia of heights and/or spiders will be assessed using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5) specific phobia subscale.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Fear-inducing Virtual Reality (VR) experienceParticipants will complete a single virtual reality (VR) exposure involving a fear-inducing scenario (e.g., walking a plank above a high-rise building or canyon). | Behavioural | Fear-inducing Virtual Reality (VR) experience |
| Neutral Virtual Reality (VR) experienceParticipants will complete a single virtual reality (VR) exposure involving a fear-inducing scenario (e.g., walking to the edge of a curb at street level). | Behavioural | Neutral Virtual Reality (VR) experience |
Primary outcome
Change in self-reported empathy scores
Time frame: Baseline (prior to VR experience) and approximately 5 minutes post-VR experience.
Participant will view videos of other individuals undergoing a fear-inducing virtual reality (VR) experience and will self-report level of empathy on a scale 0=not at all to 10=extremely. Average empathy ratings will be compared pre-VR and post-VR.
Change in heart rate
Time frame: Baseline (prior to VR experience) and approximately 5 minutes post-VR experience.
Average heart rate (beats/minute) will be collected while watching videos of other individuals undergoing a fear-inducing virtual reality (VR) experience and will be compared pre-VR and post-VR.
1 secondary outcome
Change in the correlation between self-reported anxiety scores of self and another
Time frame: Baseline (prior to VR experience) and approximately 5 minutes post-VR experience.
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 16 Apr 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Jennifer Britton, Ph.D. principal investigator
University of Miami
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Fear-inducing Virtual Reality (VR) experience and Neutral Virtual Reality (VR) experience in people with Virtual Reality and Fear, run by University of Miami at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 5 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: enrolling by invitation, as of the sponsor's last update on 16 Apr 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change in self-reported empathy scores (time frame: Baseline (prior to VR experience) and approximately 5 minutes post-VR experience.). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 16 Apr 2026.