Virtual Reality and Prevention of Bullying

NCT03920592 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: CSMPT_NC_2019_1
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 34
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The lack of empathy towards victims of bullying is thought to play a main role in this extended and pernicious peer victimization behaviour. Thus, promoting empathy in school programs might be a promising approach for bullying prevention. Virtual reality (VR) allows creating an environment very similar to the real world and has proved to promote empathy. Therefore, by employing VR, pupils may better understand and feel the experience of being bullied. As there is no evidence of the efficiency of VR in bullying prevention, the first step is to validate the content of the environments created. In this line, the current study aims to investigate if 360º-videos produce a truthful experience of being bullied superior than the observed in traditional computer screens. The effect of all, 360º-videos and 2D computer screens will be assessed through objective (electrodermal activity -EDA- and heart rate -HR-) and subjective (self-administered tests) measures.

Conditions

Bullying of Child

Keywords

Virtual reality; Psychophysiology; Empathy

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Self-assessment manikin (SAM)

  Arousal and valence (5-point graphic scale)

  Baseline

• Heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV)

  An electrocardiogram will be recorded as an indirect indicator of the physiological arousal.

  Baseline

• Electrodermal activity (EDA)

  The skin conductance will be registered as an indirect indicator of the physiological arousal. Tonic and phasic measures will be registered.

  Baseline

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• The Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits (ICU) in Children

  Baseline

• Empathy toward victim

  Baseline

• Ad-hoc items regarding bullying

  Baseline

• Ad-hoc item on "presence"

  Baseline

Study Arms (1)

Video watching

EXPERIMENTAL

All participants will watch 4 videos of potential everyday school situations, adapted for boys and girls. Videos contain different levels of bullying (presence/absence) and virtual reality (presence/absence). Every pupil will watch the 4 types of video content randomly.

Behavioral: Virtual Reality of Bullying

Interventions

Virtual Reality of Bullying BEHAVIORAL

Immersive videos (360º) filmed by 12-14 year old pupils who, guided by professional actors, represented the subjective experience of bullying. Eight different potential situations designed depending on the sex of the pupil were filmed: Girls: 1. Classmates steal her personal diary 2. Classmates tear her clothing 3. Classmates insult her and steal her belongings 4. Classmates deliberately exclude her in class Boys: 1. Classmates exclude him while playing with a ball 2. Classmates bother him in the dining room 3. Classmates insult and steal him in class 4. Classmates insult him and steal his belongings

Video watching

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 9 Years - 12 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• All pupils assisting 5th and 6th grade of primary school (Spain education system) of the "Escola Parc del Guinardó" school
• Pupils whos parents have read, understand and approved the informed consent of the study.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Narcis Cardoner, MD, PhD: lead
• Fundació Eurecat: collaborator
• Recercaixa: collaborator
• Escola Parc del Guinardó: collaborator
• Fundació FC Barcelona: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Corporació Sanitària Parc Taulí

Sabadell, 08208, Spain

Location

Related Publications (4)

• Fanti, K. A., & Kimonis, E. R. (2012). Bullying and Victimization: The Role of Conduct Problems and Psychopathic Traits. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 22(4), 617-631.

  BACKGROUND

• Moore AA, Carney D, Moroney E, Machlin L, Towbin KE, Brotman MA, Pine DS, Leibenluft E, Roberson-Nay R, Hettema JM. The Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits (ICU) in Children: Reliability and Heritability. Behav Genet. 2017 Mar;47(2):141-151. doi: 10.1007/s10519-016-9831-1. Epub 2016 Dec 1.

  PMID: 27909830 BACKGROUND

• Nickerson AB, Mele D, Princiotta D. Attachment and empathy as predictors of roles as defenders or outsiders in bullying interactions. J Sch Psychol. 2008 Dec;46(6):687-703. doi: 10.1016/j.jsp.2008.06.002. Epub 2008 Jul 15.

  PMID: 19083379 BACKGROUND

• Munoz LC, Qualter P, Padgett G. Empathy and bullying: exploring the influence of callous-unemotional traits. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev. 2011 Apr;42(2):183-96. doi: 10.1007/s10578-010-0206-1.

  PMID: 20886285 BACKGROUND

Study Officials

• Narcís Cardoner, MD, PhD

  Corporacion Parc Tauli

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Miguel Barreda, PhD

  Eurecat, Centre Tecnològic de Catalunya

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Masking Details: Participants are unaware of which condition is being tested
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Psychiatrist, Director Depression and Anxiety Program & OSAMCAT

Model Details: Each participant, depending on their sex, watch two minutes of each video content: 1. Bullying content in virtual reality 2. Bullying content in a regular 2D screen 3. Pupils playing without bullying content in virtual reality 4. Pupils playing without bullying content in a regular 2D screen

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: April 9, 2019
• First Posted: April 19, 2019
• Study Start: April 10, 2019
• Primary Completion: April 12, 2019
• Study Completion: April 12, 2019
• Last Updated: April 29, 2019

Record last verified: 2019-04

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

ES (1)