Motion simulator for psychological investigations

• Subject Area: Psychology
• Term: Funded in 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 444565969

Human behaviour and experience can be successfully investigated scientifically in Virtual Reality (VR). The application of VR for the therapy of e.g. anxiety disorders is scientifically proven. The simulation of controlled self motion has so far only been realized to a limited extent, since motion simulators are necessary for this. With the applied for device, we will be able to integrate self motion in virtual multimodal simulations (VR) and at the same time to record behaviour and physiological as well as neuronal reactions in addition to self-reports. Thus, issues arising in clinical psychology and psychotherapy such as fundamental processes of anxiety and mechanisms of action in the psychotherapy of anxiety disorders (e.g. fear of flying, PTSD after car accidents) as well as fundamental questions of general and biological psychology such as multimodal perceptual processes including self-motion can be investigated using innovative and ecologically valid paradigms.

• DFG Programme: Major Research Instrumentation
• Major Instrumentation: Bewegungssimulator für psychologische Untersuchungen
• Instrumentation Group: 3490 Sonstige medizinische Registriergeräte und Zubehör
• Applicant Institution: Universität Regensburg
• Leader: Professor Dr. Andreas Mühlberger