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Psychological and Neurophysiological Indicators of Stress and Relaxation in Immersive Virtual Reality Environments: A Multimodal Approach

Ankit Arvind Prasad,S. L. Bidwai,Ashutosh Jitendra Zawar,Diven Ashwani Ahuja,Apostolos Kalatzis,Vishnunarayan Girishan Prabhu

Published 2025 in International Conference on Multimodal Interaction

ABSTRACT

Understanding user affect through multimodal sensing is critical for designing adaptive and effective interactive systems. While Virtual Reality (VR) is increasingly used to induce and regulate affective states, limited research has examined real-time neurophysiological and psychological changes across contrasting VR scenarios. In this exploratory study, fourteen participants were exposed to two immersive VR experiences in a within-subjects design: (1) a custom-designed, nature-based environment integrated with heart rate variability biofeedback (HRVBF) to promote relaxation, and (2) Richie’s Plank Experience, a pre-developed VR scenario designed to elicit stress. We conducted a multimodal analysis of neurophysiological and psychological responses during exposure to these VR environments. Subjective psychological responses were measured pre- and post-intervention using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Additionally, neurophysiological data were concurrently recorded, including respiration rate (RR), heart rate variability (HRV), and hemodynamic responses, specifically oxygenated (HbO) and deoxygenated hemoglobin (HbR), using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS).Richie’s Plank significantly elevated post-exposure subjective anxiety scores (VAS: p = 0.05, STAI: p < 0.01) and increased RR (20.6 ± 2.37) compared to the HRVBF condition (11.2 ± 5.90, p < 0.01). HbO was higher during Richie’s Plank (3.0 ± 1.93), while HbR was elevated in the HRVBF condition (1.0 ± 1.13), both p < 0.01. Furthermore, HRV (RMSSD) was lower during the HRVBF environment (p < 0.01), indicating greater parasympathetic activation during HRVBF. These findings demonstrate that fNIRS, HRV/ECG, and RR exhibit distinct patterns that reflect the unique characteristics of each VR intervention presented. This multimodal physiological responsiveness supports the design of affect-aware systems capable of delivering real-time, personalized interventions. However, given the modest sample size and demographic homogeneity, these exploratory results warrant replication in larger, diverse populations for generalizability.

PUBLICATION RECORD

  • Publication year

    2025

  • Venue

    International Conference on Multimodal Interaction

  • Publication date

    2025-10-12

  • Fields of study

    Computer Science, Psychology

  • Identifiers
    DOI 10.1145/3716553.3750761
  • External record

    Open on Semantic Scholar

  • Source metadata

    Semantic Scholar

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