The Effect of Immersive VR Distraction on Memory: Study 2

NCT ID: NCT07183839

Last Updated: 2025-09-24

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 20 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2024-05-31
• Study Completion Date: 2025-02-11

Brief Summary

This study measures how many words people can recall. Some words are studied/heard/learned while in immersive Virtual Reality, and some are studied/heard/learned while in a plausible control distraction.

Detailed Description

In this Study (n=20), participants recalled word lists during a plausible semi-immersive control condition (passive Apple Vision Pro see-through mode) versus during interactive immersive VR. Participants also later received brief heat pain stimuli during No VR versus immersive VR and provided pain and anxiety and distraction ratings on 0-10 graphic rating scales.

Conditions

Virtual Reality Amnesia

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Primary Study Purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

High Tech virtual reality

Participants used their cyberhands to interact with virtual objects while in immersive virtual reality, while they listen to and memorize a list of 15 study words rea to them from the real world.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Immersive Virtual Reality

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

While wearing an immersive VR helmet, participants grabbed virtual objects andd put them into a bowl of virtual water, while memorizing a list of words from the real world.

Low Tech VR

Participants wore an Apple Vision Pro VR goggles that allowed them to see the real world in their VR goggles, via video streaming from cameras mounted on the VR helmet, while memorizing a list of words they heard from the real world.

Group Type: SHAM_COMPARATOR

Plausible control condition

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Participant passively viewed the laboratory room they saw while wearing Apple Vision Pro goggles, while memorizing a list of words read to them from the real world.

Interventions

Immersive Virtual Reality

While wearing an immersive VR helmet, participants grabbed virtual objects andd put them into a bowl of virtual water, while memorizing a list of words from the real world.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Plausible control condition

Participant passively viewed the laboratory room they saw while wearing Apple Vision Pro goggles, while memorizing a list of words read to them from the real world.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Currently enrolled in a course at the University of Washington Psychology Dept., participating in the UW Psychology subject pool
• Able to read, write and comprehend English
• Able to complete study measures
• Willing to follow our UW approved instructions
• 18 years of age or older

Exclusion Criteria

• People who have already previously participated in this same study (e.g., last quarter) are not eligible to participate again.
• Not enrolled in a course at the University of Washington Psychology Dept., not participating in the UW Psychology subject pool
• Not be able to read, write and comprehend English
• Younger than 18 years of age.
• Not capable of completing measures
• Not capable of indicating pain intensity,
• Not capable of filling out study measures,
• Extreme susceptibility to motion sickness,
• Seizure history,
• Unusual sensitivity or lack of sensitivity to pain,
• Sensitive skin,
• Sensitive feet
• Migraines
• Diabetes

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

University of Washington

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Hunter Hoffman

Research Scientist at the UW Dept of Mechanical Engineering

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Hunter Hoffman, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Washington

Locations

University of Washington

Seattle, Washington, United States

Countries

United States

References

Hoffman HG, Fontenot MR, Garcia-Palacios A, Greenleaf WJ, Alhalabi W, Curatolo M, Flor H. Adding tactile feedback increases avatar ownership and makes virtual reality more effective at reducing pain in a randomized crossover study. Sci Rep. 2023 May 22;13(1):7915. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-31038-4.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 37217536 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

VRAnalgesia2025b

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id