Piloting a Virtual Reality-Based, Randomized Controlled Trial of Psychosocial Responses to Neighborhood Physical Disorder

Summary

This clinical trial compares virtual reality viewing of an unaltered streetscape versus a digitally manipulated opposite streetscape to assess the psychosocial response in participants. Visible measures of neighborhood factors might be associated with health outcomes and risk factors of those outcomes. Short-term exposure to virtual reality environments representing very high or very low levels of neighborhood physical disorder - presence or absence of garbage/litter, presence or absence of graffiti, presence or absence of an abandoned building, presence or absence of large dumpsters, poor or very well-kept building conditions, poor or very well-kept yard conditions, poor or very well-kept road verge conditions may be a safe and effective way to assess psychosocial response in participants.

Detailed description

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: I. Compare sympathetic autonomic measures (heart rate variability and skin conductance) between participants viewing, in virtual reality, their streetscape as a digitally manipulated opposite version with respect to physical disorder indicators versus participants viewing their streetscape as a digital twin with respect to physical disorder indicators. II. Compare self-report measures (Self-Assessment Manikin and state anxiety ratings) between participants viewing, in virtual reality, their streetscape as a digitally manipulated opposite version with respect to physical disorder indicators versus participants viewing their streetscape as a digital twin with respect to physical disorder indicators. III. Record side effects of interacting within a virtual reality environment over short periods of time (3-5 min): IIIa. Quantify frequency of side effects; IIIb. Explore whether side effects increase across subsequent VR sessions of the cross-over study; IIIc. Explore whether side effects vary by VR intervention arm (digital twin of own streetscape or digitally manipulated opposite indicators of physical disorder of own streetscape). IV. Analyze impact of covariates on study outcomes. EXPLORATORY OBJECTIVES: I. Compare eye gaze density between participants viewing, in virtual reality, their streetscape as a digitally manipulated opposite version with respect to physical disorder indicators versus participants viewing their streetscape as a digital twin with respect to physical disorder indicators. II. Compare self-report measures (neighborhood social cohesion and neighborhood disorder) between participants viewing, in virtual reality, their streetscape as a digitally manipulated opposite version with respect to physical disorder indicators versus participants viewing their streetscape as a digital twin with respect to physical disorder indicators. OUTLINE: Participants are randomized within their residing neighborhood to 1 of 2 arms. ARM I: Participants have their streetscape photographed. Participants view a standard residential streetscape using virtual reality (VR) for up to 5 minutes. Patients then view a digital twin of their streetscape with identical physical disorder using VR for up to 5 minutes followed by viewing their streetscape with the opposite physical disorder using VR for up to 5 minutes. ARM II: Participants have their streetscape photographed. Participants view a standard residential streetscape using VR for up to 5 minutes. Patients then view their streetscape with the opposite physical disorder using VR for up to 5 minutes followed by viewing a digital twin of their streetscape with identical physical disorder using VR for up to 5 minutes.

Arms & interventions

• OtherSurvey Administration

  Ancillary studies

• OtherVirtual Technology Intervention

  View standard streetscape

• OtherVirtual Technology Intervention

  View digital twin of streetscape

• OtherVirtual Technology Intervention

  View opposite digital streetscape

Outcome measures

Eligibility criteria