{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,10]],"date-time":"2026-03-10T21:30:06Z","timestamp":1773178206658,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":89,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,14]],"date-time":"2025-04-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1744588800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Virtual Worlds"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Arachnophobia is a specific phobia characterized by an intense and persistent fear of spiders, often leading to avoidance behaviors that can significantly impact daily life. Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET) offers a controlled, adaptable, and immersive therapeutic environment, allowing for greater personalization, flexibility, and the real-time modulation of exposure parameters. This pilot study employed a quasi-experimental design without a control group to evaluate the efficacy of a gamified VRET intervention for treating arachnophobia. A sample of 25 participants underwent the intervention, with outcomes assessed through a Behavioral Approach Test (BAT) and self-report measures, including the Fear of Spiders Questionnaire (FSQ) and the Spider Phobia Questionnaire (SPQ-15), administered pre-intervention, post-intervention, and at a two-week follow-up. Findings indicate that gamified VRET led to significant reductions in self-reported fear and avoidance behaviors, suggesting its potential as an effective therapeutic tool for arachnophobia. Although some results were not entirely conclusive, the overall improvements observed support further investigation in larger, controlled trials.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/virtualworlds4020015","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,15]],"date-time":"2025-04-15T03:59:06Z","timestamp":1744689546000},"page":"15","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["A Gamified Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for Individuals with Arachnophobia: A Pilot Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"4","author":[{"given":"In\u00eas","family":"Lopes","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"LabRP-CIR, E2S, Polytechnic of Porto, Rua Dr. Ant\u00f3nio Bernardino de Almeida n\u00ba 400, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4703-1712","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Raquel","family":"Sim\u00f5es de Almeida","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"LabRP-CIR, E2S, Polytechnic of Porto, Rua Dr. Ant\u00f3nio Bernardino de Almeida n\u00ba 400, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3975-2395","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Paulo","family":"Veloso Gomes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"LabRP-CIR, E2S, Polytechnic of Porto, Rua Dr. Ant\u00f3nio Bernardino de Almeida n\u00ba 400, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8656-5023","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ant\u00f3nio","family":"Marques","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"LabRP-CIR, E2S, Polytechnic of Porto, Rua Dr. Ant\u00f3nio Bernardino de Almeida n\u00ba 400, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,14]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"135","DOI":"10.1016\/j.aanat.2018.10.003","article-title":"Anatomical prosection practices in the Occupational Therapy degree. 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