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Med."],"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title><jats:p>Smartphone-based virtual reality (VR) applications (apps) might help to counter low utilization rates of available treatments for fear of heights. Demonstration of effectiveness in real-life situations of such apps is crucial, but lacking so far. Objective of this study was to develop a stand-alone, smartphone-based VR exposure app\u2014<jats:italic>Easy Heights<\/jats:italic>\u2014and to test its effectiveness in a real-life situation. We performed a single-blind, parallel group, randomized controlled trial. We recruited 70 participants with fear of heights, aged 18\u201360 years. Primary outcome was performance in a real-life Behavioral Avoidance Test (BAT) on a lookout tower after a single 1-h app use (phase 1) and after additional repeated (6\u2009\u00d7\u200930\u2009min) app use at home (phase 2). After phase 2, but not phase 1, participants in the<jats:italic>Easy Heights<\/jats:italic>condition showed significantly higher BAT scores compared to participants in the control condition (Cohen\u2019s d\u2009=\u20091.3,<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\u2009=\u20090.0001). Repeated use of our stand-alone, smartphone-based VR exposure app reduces avoidance behavior and fear, providing a low-threshold treatment for fear of heights.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1038\/s41746-021-00387-7","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,2,8]],"date-time":"2021-02-08T21:23:28Z","timestamp":1612819408000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":30,"title":["Effectiveness of a stand-alone, smartphone-based virtual reality exposure app to reduce fear of heights in real-life: a randomized trial"],"prefix":"10.1038","volume":"4","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0291-2356","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Doroth\u00e9e","family":"Bentz","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nan","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Merle K.","family":"Ibach","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6049-6306","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nathalie S.","family":"Schicktanz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0875-3405","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Anja","family":"Zimmer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Andreas","family":"Papassotiropoulos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7131-2464","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Dominique J. 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