Augmented Reality Cures Cockroach Fears

We’ve all read articles about augmented reality and it’s many uses; however, this is the first time I’ve learned anything about it being used in psychological research.

There is a technique that psychologists have used for years to help people overcome their fears. It is called Exposure Therapy, and it’s where a person is exposed to their fears in a safe environment so they can face it and then start to overcome it.

Add augmented reality to the mix and now you’ve got a super charged crazy techno way to face fears. In this particular study, people put on their AR headset only to see very “real” cockroaches crawling all over the desk they were sitting at. If you’ve ever experienced any augmented reality technology, you know how perfectly real it all looks and feels.

Does this sound creepy and traumatizing? Yeah, it does to me too. I would never participate in something like this, but that’s just me. The results are still to be determined about whether or not this will for sure work, but if it does, you can bet this same method will be used to cure people of other phobias as well.

[via neoacademic]