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THE ROLE OF VIRTUAL REALITY IN THE STUDY OF AWE: AN ADVANCED METHODOLOGY
No full textLa ricerca sul tema del Sublime ha spesso considerato questo fenomeno come un'emozione originata da stimoli talmente vasti da richiedere una modifica profonda dei nostri schemi concettuali (Keltner & Haidt, 2003). Tuttavia, il sublime risulterebbe più simile ad un'esperienza complessa piuttosto che ad un'emozione. Nel dettaglio, essa è emersa come un'esperienza trasformativa in grado di influenzare persino le tendenze più stabili in modo permanente. L'obiettivo di questa tesi è contribuire alla ricerca orientata a comprendere la natura del sublime, il suo potenziale trasformativo e la sua induzione sperimentale. Abbiamo esplorato nuovi metodi per restituire al sublime elicitato in laboratorio le sue sfumature, la sua originaria intensità e complessità. Abbiamo, inoltre, sviluppato una serie di tre studi basati su una metodologia esperienziale avanzata, la Realtà Virtuale (RV), aprendo la strada ad un nuovo modo di studiare e progettare esperienze di sublime nel laboratorio. In primo luogo, partendo da una revisione della letteratura sperimentale sul sublime, abbiamo argomentato in favore di una nuova metodologia in grado di cogliere l'intensità e la complessità del sublime come esperienza, superando la concezione di questo fenomeno come emozione. Abbiamo identificato la RV come principale candidato per diverse ragioni. Innanzitutto, la RV sarebbe in grado di fornire agli utenti la possibilità di navigare all'interno di ambienti immersivi, realistici e interattivi che possono elicitare un senso di “presenza” (i.e., la sensazione soggettiva di "essere e agire lì" all'interno di una realtà simulata come se fosse la realtà). Inoltre, la RV sarebbe in grado di generare eventi paradossali e situazioni altrimenti impossibili nella realtà, frammentando, così, i nostri schemi di pensiero abituali. Questo aspetto risulterebbe un asset cruciale per l'induzione del sublime. In terzo luogo, la RV potrebbe essere utilizzata per registrare il comportamento e le risposte fisiologiche degli utenti insieme ai report soggettivi retrospettivi, permettendo di realizzare una misurazione integrata dell'esperienza. Nello studio 1, alla luce di queste premesse, abbiamo esplorato sperimentalmente la possibilità di indurre il sublime anche attraverso un format basilare ma altamente realistico di RV, detto video 360°. Abbiamo progettato due contenuti emotivi (1 inducente il sublime e l'altro neutrale) i quali venivano mostrati su un display a 360° oppure su uno schermo piatto, per manipolarne il senso di presenza associato. Infine, abbiamo testato l'effetto di tale manipolazione sull'intensità del sublime derivante dall'esposizione a tali stimoli sia tramite un assessment psicofisiologico (Conduttanza cutanea, Blood Volume Pulse, sEMG) sia tramite misure retrospettive ad hoc. I partecipanti hanno percepito un livello di sublime significativamente superiore nella condizione 360° con contenuto sublime rispetto a tutte le altre condizioni. La combinazione del medium 360° e del contenuto ispirante il sublime è risultato in un boost di quest'ultimo. Inoltre, per la prima volta, le misure psicofisiologiche del sublime hanno dimostrato il ruolo cruciale del sistema parasimpatico per definire tale fenomeno. Nel secondo studio, ci siamo spinti oltre testando un format di RV più avanzato includente la componente di interattività. Il vantaggio principale è consistito dal fatto che gli ambienti immersivi e interattivi in VR (VEs) riproducessero istanze differenti di sublime. Seguendo le linee guida fornite dalla letteratura, abbiamo progettato e validato un ambiente neutrale naturalistico in RV e 3 ambienti interattivi ed immersivi (i.e., Foresta, Montagne innevate, Visione della terra dallo spazio) per indurre il sublime. 36 partecipanti sono stati esposti a tutti gli ambienti in RV seguendo un ordine controbilanciato. I partecipanti hanno riportato i propri livelli di sublime, affettività generale e senso di presenza dopo ogni esposizione. Tutti gli ambienti sono risultati in grado di elicitare i medesimi livelli di affettività positiva e presenza, tuttavia, differivano in relazione al tipo di sublime elicitato. Questo studio ha fornito le prime linee guida di progettazione basate sull'evidenza utili sia per future ricerche interessate a studiare il sublime come esperienza all'interno del laboratorio, sia per studiosi e professionisti che intendano utilizzare tali ambienti virtuali per creare training di induzione del sublime. Fino a questo punto è stato considerato solo un format RV immersivo ed interattivo. Tuttavia, abbiamo trascurato la componente di realismo tipica della RV (i.e., il livello di dettaglio in cui un VE sia in grado di simulare la fisica del mondo reale). Quindi, abbiamo confrontato i risultati dello studio 1 con quelli dello studio 2 in relazione all'induzione di sublime da parte dei due differenti formati di RV (i.e., realistico vs. immersivo/interattivo) utilizzando un confronto tra gli effect size, in quanto il disegno di ricerca era il medesimo. Abbiamo riscontrato un livello superiore di sublime indotto dal formato realistico del video 360° rispetto ai VEs immersivi. Questo suggerirebbe che la componente del realismo, in qualità di dimensione chiave del senso di presenza, sia un elemento chiave da manipolare per progettare forme più complesse e intense di sublime in laboratorio. Quindi, nel terzo studio, ci siamo basati sui risultati delle due ricerche precedenti allo scopo di testare l'impatto di una forma di sublime intensa, come quella indotta dai video 360°, sul pensiero creativo, il quale è di solito considerato come una tendenza relativamente stabile. Abbiamo ipotizzato che questa forma intensificata di sublime in RV sarebbe stata in grado di influenzare il pensiero creativo più di un contenuto neutrale mostrato attraverso il medesimo display. Per testare il legame tra il sublime come esperienza e la creatività, abbiamo impiegato video 360° precedentemente validati per indurre il sublime e un contenuto neutrale ed abbiamo assegnato 40 partecipanti in modo casuale a tutte queste condizioni che sono state controbilanciate. Dopo, abbiamo misurato livelli di sublime e le abilità di pensiero creativo (Torrance Test of Creative Thinking) di tutti i partecipanti. I risultati hanno mostrato non solo che il pensiero creativo era significativamente superiore nella condizione di induzione del sublime rispetto a quella neutrale. In particolare, il sublime percepito era predetto significativamente da 3 dimensioni di creatività su 4, come abbiamo dimostrato attraverso l'approccio del Modello Lineare Generalizzato. La spiegazione che abbiamo proposto per questi risultati è in linea con l'approccio teorico delle esperienze Diversificanti (DEs), esperienze peculiari di vita considerate in grado di promuovere elevati livelli di pensiero creativo. In particolare, abbiamo considerato il sublime come potenziale membro della famiglia delle DEs. In generale, i risultati di questi studi hanno provato la natura complessa e ricca di sfaccettature propria del sublime e hanno dimostrato la fattibilità di una sua induzione in laboratorio. Specificatamente, abbiamo dapprima validato una nuova procedura per la progettazione e la selezione degli stimoli migliori per l'induzione del sublime. Tale metodologia è stata poi applicata in laboratorio con un formato RV interattivo e immersivo. Abbiamo mostrato che nonostante il sublime mostri un'attivazione chiave del sistema parasimpatico, sarebbe in grado di scaturire anche da stimoli attivanti ed interattivi. Abbiamo utilizzato la RV per creare diverse esperienze prototipiche di sublime, le quali hanno mostrato differenti profili in termini di vastità e bisogno di accomodamento, degne di approfondimento. Infine, il legame tra l'esperienza del sublime e la creatività è emerso chiaramente, aprendo alla possibilità di un training orientato al sublime e basato sulla RV che sia in grado di potenziare anche il pensiero creativo. Concludendo, abbiamo fornito anche linee guida per la progettazione e per la ricerca orientata ll studio del sublime come esperienza e non solo come semplice emozione.Research on “awe” has often considered it as an emotion arising from stimuli so vast to require an accommodation of pre-existing knowledge structures (Keltner & Haidt, 2003). However, awe resulted as closer to an experience than to an emotion. Specifically, awe resulted as a transformative experience, able to affect even stable tendencies in life permanently. The purpose of this dissertation is to contribute to research on the nature of awe as a transformative experience and on its experimental study. I explored new methods to restore nuances, intensity and complexity of awe-experience even in the lab. I developed a set of three subsequent studies based on a new experiential methodology – Virtual Reality (VR) – opening to a new way of studying and designing awe in the lab. First, starting from a review of experimental literature on awe, I discussed in favour of a new methodology able to capture the intensity and complexity of awe as an experience, instead of only as an emotion. I identified Virtual Reality as the main candidate for many reasons. First, VR endowed the users with immersive, realistic, and interactive environments that can elicit a sense of “presence”, that is, the subjective experience of “being and acting there” in a simulated reality as if it was real. Second, VR allows to generate even paradoxical and impossible situations breaking our conventional fixed patterns of thinking, that is another key asset of awe. Third, VR can be used to fully track users’ behavioural and physiological responses, allowing for an integrated assessment of the emotional experience, both concurrent and retrospective. In study 1, drawing from these conclusions, I empirically explored the possibility to induce awe even through basic but highly realistic VR format, that is, 360°-videos. First, I designed two VR contents (1 awe-inducing and 1 neutral) displayed either on 360°-videos or on flat screens. Then, I exposed 42 participants to ad hoc awe-inducing (i.e., Forest) and neutral (i.e., hens scratching about the grass) contents displayed either on a 360° or flat screen to manipulate the sense of presence. I tested the impact of this manipulation on awe intensity. They self-reported their sense of presence and awe after each exposure. At the same time, their Skin Conductance, Blood Volume Pulse, sEMG levels were assessed while they were watching each video. Participants felt significantly more awe in the 360° awe-inspiring condition compared to others. The combination of 360° medium with awe-inspiring content resulted in a boost of awe. Moreover, psychophysiological measures of awe evidenced, for the first time, the parasympathetic system as a core component of the psychophysiological profile of this emotion. In study 2, I moved forward by testing a more advanced VR format, which includes the component of interactivity. The main advantage was that immersive-interactive Virtual Reality environments (VEs) could give rise to a variety of awe-experiences. Following guidelines provided by literature, I designed and validated one naturalistic neutral VR-environment and 3 ad hoc immersive-interactive VR-environments (VEs), to induce different instances of awe (i.e., Forest, High Snow Mountains, Earth view form the space). 36 participants were exposed to all VEs in a counterbalanced order. Participants reported their levels of awe, their general affect, and sense of presence after each exposure. Results showed that all environments elicited a similar positive affect and presence, but awe was differentially elicited by each environment, bringing forth diverse nuances of it. This research provided evidence-based design guidelines for future researches interested in the study of awe as an experience in the lab, as well as to scholars and practitioners willing to adopt validated VEs for creating awe-inspiring trainings. To date, I considered an interactive-immersive VR format. However, another key asset of VR relies also on the realism component (i.e., how a VE simulates the physics of the real world to minute details). Finally, since the experimental design was akin to Study 1, I could compare effect size of awe conveyed by 360° realistic video of Forest (Study 1) and immersive-interactive VEs of Forest (Study 2). I found that the most realistic form of VR (i.e., 360°-videos) could induce a slightly higher sense of awe, compared to VEs. This suggested that the realism component, as a layer of the sense of presence, could be crucial in manipulating and designing enhanced forms of awe in the lab. Hence, in Study 3, I relied on findings of Study 1 and 2 to test the impact of such intensified form of awe - induced by the most realistic form of VR - on creative-thinking cognitive process, which is usually considered as a relatively stable tendency instead of a contingent phenomenon. I hypothesized that the enhanced form of realistic VR-based awe would have impact on creative-thinking more than a neutral content displayed in VR. To test the link between awe as an experience and creativity, I used previously validated 360° awe-inspiring and neutral environments and I randomly assigned 40 participants to all these conditions in a counterbalanced order. Their levels of awe, presence and creative-thinking abilities (Torrance Test of Creative Thinking) were assessed after the exposure to each condition. Results showed not only that creative-thinking was significantly higher after awe-inducing 360°-videos compared to the neutral one, but especially that perceived awe significantly predicted 3 out 4 creativity dimensions, as demonstrated by a Generalized Linear Model statistical approach. We explained these findings in light of the framework of Diversifying experiences (DEs), i.e., peculiar experiences in life (e.g., multicultural experiences, psychopathology, schema-violation situations) considered as maximally creativity-conductive. Specifically, we considered awe as a potential member of the family of DEs. Overall, results of these studies provided evidence of the nuanced nature of awe and of the possibility to restore it as an experience even within the boundaries of a lab. Specifically, a new methodology for the design and the selection of best awe-inductors in the lab was validated. This methodology was applied both with immersive and interactive VR formats. Although awe displays a parasympathetic physiological response, it can arise even from interactive-activating inductors. I used VR to create several prototypical experiences of awe, which showed different profiles in terms of vastness and need for accommodation, to be deepened by future studies. Finally, the link between awe-experience and creativity emerged clearly, paving the way for new future awe-inspiring VR-based training to enhance creative thinking. To conclude, design and research guidelines were provided for further studies interested in pursuing and investigating awe as an experience and not only as an emotion
Awe: "More than a feeling"
No full textIn this article, the authors elaborate on 2 ideas advanced in Schneider's (2017) innovative article on the resurgence of awe in psychology. Taking a cue from his claim to recover a "slow simmer form" of awe (i.e., deeper, destabilizing, challenging, and ambiguous) using mixed-methods, the authors highlight the need to reframe the concept of awe as closer to an experience than to an emotion. This implies focusing not only on a mixed-methodology to study awe but also on a new way of inducing it. Specifically, if awe is considered as an experience, an experiential approach would be required to induce it. The authors provided examples of recent studies that relied on Virtual Reality (VR) as an effective experiential approach to elicit the "slow simmer form" of awe in the lab. A controlled induction of awe through VR can lead to more intense awe, thus drawing near the desired "slow simmer form." Schneider's claim can provide the theoretical underpinning to support this new conceptualization of awe as an experience as well as its experimental investigation
Nature versus Art as Elicitors of the Sublime: A Virtual Reality study
Full text linkThe sublime – the mixed aesthetic experience of uplift and elevation in response to a
powerful or vast object that otherwise is experienced as menacing – has nurtured
philosophical discourse for centuries. One of the major philosophical issues concerns
whether the sublime is best thought of as a subjective response or as a stimulus.
Recently, psychology has conceived of the sublime as an emotion, often referred to as
awe, arising from natural or artistic stimuli that are great, rare, and/or vast. However, it
has not yet been empirically demonstrated whether two major elicitors of the sublime –
nature and art – differ in inducing this state. In order to experimentally compare nature
and art, we exposed 50 participants to sublimity-inducing content in two different
formats (nature-based and art-based) using 360° videos. We compared Vincent Van
Gogh’s The Starry Night with a photorealistic version of the actual place depicted in
the painting, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. We measured participants’ emotional
responses before and after each exposure, as well as the sense of presence. The
nature-based format induced higher intensity emotional responses than the art-based
format. This study compares different sublime stimuli (nature vs. art) for eliciting the
sublime
In Medio Stat Virtus: Moderate Cognitive Flexibility as a Key to Affective Flexibility Responses in Long-Term HRV
No full textThis study examines the relationship between cognitive and affective flexibility, two critical aspects of adaptability. Cognitive flexibility involves switching between activities as rules change, assessed through task-switching or neuropsychological tests and questionnaires. Affective flexibility, meanwhile, refers to shifting between emotional and non-emotional tasks or states. Although similar conceptually, prior research shows inconsistent findings on their link, especially regarding physiological and self-reported measures. Affective flexibility was operationalized as changes in heart rate variability (HRV) in response to transitioning affective stimuli, while cognitive flexibility was assessed using self-report questionnaires that captured individuals’ perceived adaptability. The findings revealed that individuals with extremely high or low cognitive flexibility displayed similar HRV patterns in response to emotional stimuli, while those with medium levels of cognitive flexibility showed distinct responses. The Extreme group exhibited higher baseline autonomic activation that decreased after exposure, whereas the Average group’s moderate baseline activation increased post-stimuli. This interaction was mainly seen in long-term HRV indexes, while short-term indexes showed a uniform response across groups, suggesting that differences in flexibility were probably not discernible via state features but rather as traits and long-term attributes. The findings suggest that cognitive and affective flexibility exist on a continuum; extremely high and low cognitive flexibility is linked to intense affective responses, while moderate cognitive flexibility corresponds to balanced physiological regulation, supporting the notion that “in medio stat virtus” (virtue lies in moderation)
Dataset of Outlining a Novel Psychometric Model of Mental Flexibility and Affect Dynamics
No full text<p>Theoretically, affective states have always been conceived as complex phenomena enabling individuals to respond flexibly and dynamically to environmental demands. Methodologically, the novel field of Affect Dynamics has started to analyze affective states as inherently dynamic and interdependent phenomena by focusing on how and why they fluctuate over time. Fluctuations of affective states can also be conceived as a function of individuals' ability to flexibly modulate their responses according to environmental demands. However, this ability has been sparsely investigated in different disciplines and domains, thus, engendering a plethora of terms and models. In this conceptual analysis, we first aimed to disentangle the puzzle of flexibility by outlining the distinctive cross-domain features of this concept, thus providing a novel comprehensive operationalization. We termed this novel unitary concept "mental flexibility," the general ability to variably adapt to environmental demands. Then, we outlined the interplay between individuals' mental flexibility and affect dynamics by proposing a novel psychometric model of affect dynamics, using Markovian chain</p>
When Virtual Feels Real: Comparing Emotional Responses and Presence in Virtual and Natural Environments
No full textAlthough virtual reality (VR) is increasingly regarded as an effective emotion induction technique, little research has examined whether and how emotions elicited in VR differ from those evoked in real life. To address this question, 50 participants (25 females and 25 males) were exposed to either a real-life contemplative scenario (a panoramic view of a lake) or to an immersive 360° footage of the same landscape. Next, type and valence of emotions, as well as sense of presence reported by participants, were compared across conditions. Findings showed that emotions elicited by virtual and natural conditions were not significantly different. The only exception was anger, which was significantly higher in the natural condition, and amusement, which was significantly higher in the virtual condition. Sense of physical presence and engagement dimensions of presence did not significantly differ between virtual and real conditions. However, different correlation patterns between emotions and key dimensions of presence were found after in vivo and in virtuo exposure. These findings provide initial evidence that emotions and sense of presence elicited by immersive videos are comparable with those evoked by real-life scenarios and warrant further investigations
Aesthetic Experiences in Healthcare
No full textA breathtaking sunset, an immersive art exhibition, a captivating piece of music-all of these experiences can be deeply moving. These experiences can be called aesthetic experiences since they involve the perception and appreciation of the sensory qualities of objects or events. Aesthetic experiences are not simply about perceiving beauty, they are about the variety of profound emotional responses that they can evoke. Awe is an emotion highly relevant to aesthetic experiences. Also, the experience of the sublime is relevant, which is defined as a feeling of overwhelming greatness, wonder, and transcendence. Recent scientific evidence has shown that awe and related emotions are related to well-being and pro-social behaviors. Moreover, within clinical populations, these emotions may help to foster connection and meaning for individuals facing challenging life situations. This potential of aesthetic experiences has been increasingly recognized in fields such as art therapy, nature-based therapies, and virtual-reality-based experiences. This chapter explores aesthetic experiences in terms of their ability to connect people to others and the world around them. We conclude by discussing some possible applications, such as art-based interventions in palliative-care contexts
Virtual Reality for Awe and Imagination
No full text: Empirical research has explored the potential of the emotion of awe to shape creativity, while theoretical work has sought to understand the link between this emotion and transformation in terms of imagining new possible worlds. This branch of study relies on the transformative potential of virtual reality (VR) to examine and invite cognitive and emotional components of transformative experiences (TEs) within the interdisciplinary model of Transformative Experience Design (TED) and the Appraisal-Tendency Framework (ATF). TED suggests using the epistemic and emotional affordances of interactive technologies, such as VR, to invite TEs. The ATF can provide insight into the nature of these affordances and their relationship. This line of research draws on empirical evidence of the awe-creativity link to broaden the discourse and consider the potential impact of this emotion on core beliefs about the world. The combination of VR with these theoretical and design-oriented approaches may enable a new generation of potentially transformative experiences that remind people that they can aspire to more and inspire them to work toward imagining and creating a new possible world
Mind and body connection in expert meditators: a computational study based on central and peripheral nervous system
Full text linkA meditative ‘technique’ is conceived as a continuum of different affective states involving mind and body jointly. Meditative practices can involve cognitive effort (e.g., focused attention and open-minded techniques), as well as automatic and implicit practices (e.g., transcendental techniques). The NGALSO tantric self-healing meditation technique is a brief, comprehensive meditation technique relying on mind and body connection. In this study, we aimed to investigate the state and the trait neurophysiological correlates of NGALSO meditation practice. First, 19 EEG channels and a 3-lead ECG signal were recorded from 10 expert meditators (more than 7 years of daily meditation) and 10 healthy inexpert participants (controls) who underwent the same meditative procedure. The neuropsychological profiles of experts and controls were compared. Results showed that expert meditators had significantly higher power spectra on alpha, theta and beta, and a higher sympathetic tone with lower parasympathetic tone after meditation. Conversely, the control group had significantly less power spectra on alpha, theta and beta, and a higher parasympathetic tone with lower sympathetic tone after meditation. A machine learning approach also allowed us to classify experts vs. controls correctly by using only EEG Theta bands before or after meditation. ECG results allowed us to show a significantly higher effort by expert meditators vs. controls, thus suggesting that a higher effort is required for this meditation, in line with the principle ‘no pain, no gain’ in body and mind
A TMS-EEG Pre-processing Parameters Tuning Study
No full textThe integration of transcranial magnetic stimulation and electroencephalography (TMS-EEG) has been sought to explore connectivity and cortical excitability in healthy and pathological subjects. Although the number of studies in this field is continuously increasing, there is still no consensus on the pre-processing pipeline. The goal of this work is to study the effect of two pre-processing parameters, (i) the interpolation window size and (ii) the regularization parameter of the source-estimate-utilizing noise-discarding (SOUND) algorithm, on the resulting TMS-evoked potentials (TEPs) and five peaks of interest. The comparison of four combinations of parameters showed the effect of the parameters on the TMS residual artifacts, which resulted in major differences between TEPs in the early windows after the TMS pulses. The work showed how the interpolation window size and the regularization parameter influence the TEPs results and proposed a combination of parameters that retrieve information of interest, decreasing the amount of noise in data
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