Clinical psychology graduate student Noah Robinson Their virtual reality avatars, accompanied by Vanderbilt University clinical psychology graduate student Noah Robinson, walk into a virtual bar, turn down alcoholic drinks offered by a stranger, and ask for water instead. A different VR world allows them the drug-free relaxation of interacting with colorful, free-floating spheres while listening to uplifting music.
“If you design the virtual environment to be therapeutic, you can allow them to escape a real environment, which has tons of cues that are encouraging addicts to use drugs or alcohol,” said Robinson. “We can use virtual reality as a way to immerse people into therapy and have them be able to be connected with social support.”
Robinson’s research is under the direction of Steve Hollon, Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor of Psychology.
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