Real-time Emotion Regulation in Virtual Reality: An Adaptive Experience using Breathing Biofeedback
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Virtual reality has increasingly been integrated with biofeedback systems for treating affective states such as depression and anxiety. The implementation of stress exposure therapies that adapt in real-time to individuals' physiological signals improves patients' ability to deal with real life stressors. This work evaluates the effect of a real-time adaptive closed-loop system using breathing rate as a biofeedback visual cue in an immersive, nature-based restorative virtual environment. Participants were divided into two groups and exposed to a baseline condition and different stressors: two Stroop Color-Word tests and a restorative virtual reality exploration task in the Virtual Levada. Their physiological signals (electrocardiography, electrodermal activity, and respiration) were recorded and subjective stress levels were annotated . The adaptive group received biofeedback based on their breathing rate, using the field of view as a representation of their stress levels, which was adapted using rule-based changes. Results revealed significant differences in physiological responses across experimental conditions. Specifically, the adaptive biofeedback group reported lower levels of stress during the immersive virtual reality task compared to the Stroop tests, highlighting the restorative effect of the Virtual Levada. These findings suggest that real-time adaptive biofeedback systems, when integrated with restorative elements, enhances users' ability to regulate their stress responses.