{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,24]],"date-time":"2026-10-24T01:00:59Z","timestamp":1792803659738,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":48,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,12,26]],"date-time":"2024-12-26T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1735171200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"European Regional Development Fund","award":["POIR.01.01.01-00-0785\/20"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["POIR.01.01.01-00-0785\/20"]}]},{"name":"National Center for Research and Development","award":["POIR.01.01.01-00-0785\/20"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["POIR.01.01.01-00-0785\/20"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/044wgz941","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"name":"Chronospace Sp. z o.o.","award":["POIR.01.01.01-00-0785\/20"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["POIR.01.01.01-00-0785\/20"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Brain Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Virtual reality (VR) is an innovative technology with the potential to transform digital experiences, particularly in relation to mental health concerns such as anxiety. Therefore, this study investigates the potential of a newly designed VR experience to alleviate anxiety by focusing on the mediating role of VR-induced immersion. Methods: The study included 419 individuals aged 10 to 80 years, with 29 aged 10\u201315 years and 390 above 15 years, who were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups on the basis of project-defined criteria, including a random allocation to the wheelchair-using group. Both groups used goggles for virtual space navigation, with the experimental group employing a multijoint arm mounted on an aluminum frame and special algorithms to navigate without controllers. We assessed immersion in VR using the Polish adaptation of the Immersion Questionnaire and anxiety using the Polish adaptations of the State\u2013Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-X1) and its early adolescent version, the State\u2013Trait Anxiety Inventory\u2013Children (STAI-C1). Results and Conclusions: The results indicate that individuals using the new VR device demonstrated increased immersion and reduced post-test anxiety levels, highlighting the significance of immersion in enhancing positive affect, mitigating the negative effects of VR technology, and offering insights for future development and refinement of VR solutions.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/brainsci15010014","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,12,26]],"date-time":"2024-12-26T19:33:07Z","timestamp":1735241587000},"page":"14","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":16,"title":["The Role of Immersive Experience in Anxiety Reduction: Evidence from Virtual Reality Sessions"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4332-0157","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Dominika","family":"Wilczy\u0144ska","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Social and Humanities, University WSB Merito, 80-266 Gda\u0144sk, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tamara","family":"Walczak-Koz\u0142owska","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neuropsychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Gdansk, 80-309 Gda\u0144sk, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7964-1913","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"David","family":"Alarc\u00f3n","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Social Anthropology, Basic Psychology and Public Health Department, Pablo de Olavide University, 41013 Sevilla, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mar\u00eda Jos\u00e9","family":"Arenilla","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Social Anthropology, Basic Psychology and Public Health Department, Pablo de Olavide University, 41013 Sevilla, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8700-130X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jose Carlos","family":"Jaenes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Social Anthropology, Basic Psychology and Public Health Department, Pablo de Olavide University, 41013 Sevilla, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marcelina","family":"Hej\u0142a","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physical Culture, Gdansk University of Physical Education and Sport, 80-336 Gda\u0144sk, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mariusz","family":"Lipowski","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Polish Herbal Medicine and Natural Therapies, 97-360 Kamie\u0144sk, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Joanna","family":"Nestorowicz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Polish Herbal Medicine and Natural Therapies, 97-360 Kamie\u0144sk, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Henryk","family":"Olszewski","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychology and Developmental Psychopathology, University of Gdansk, 80-309 Gda\u0144sk, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,12,26]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"68","DOI":"10.1007\/s00426-019-01244-9","article-title":"Behavioral realism and lifelike psychophysiological responses in virtual reality by the example of a height exposure","volume":"85","author":"Kisker","year":"2021","journal-title":"Psychol. 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