Efficacy of a Virtual Reality Biofeedback Game (DEEP) to Reduce Anxiety and Disruptive Classroom Behavior: A Single-Case Study
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Issue Date
2018-07-01
Language
en
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Abstract
A large proportion of adolescents in special education are affected by clinical levels of
anxiety in addition to their profound behavioral and psychiatric problems. Anxiety leads to
substantial long-term problems and may be the underlying cause of disruptive behaviors in the
classroom. Cleary, interventions to address anxiety and diminish disruptive classroom
behaviors in special school settings are needed. This study aimed to evaluate feasibility and
efficacy of the virtual reality biofeedback game DEEP to reduce daily levels of state-anxiety
and disruptive classroom behavior. Eight adolescents in special education, identified as
anxious by their teacher, participated in a single-case experimental A-B-A-B design. Selfreported
state-anxiety and teacher-reported classroom behavior were assessed over four weeks
during which participants completed six DEEP sessions. In addition, exit-interviews were
conducted with adolescents, teachers and school clinicians to gain insight in their perceived
feasibility of DEEP. Visual analysis and Nonoverlap of all pairs scores indicated that six out
of eight participants decreased in anxiety and four participants decreased in disruptive
classroom behavior with the introduction of DEEP. The implementation of DEEP was
deemed feasible according to adolescents, teachers and school clinicians, indicating its
potential as intervention for anxiety and disruptive classroom behavior in a special school
setting.
Keywords: anxiety, disruptive classroom behavior, single-case experimental design,
applied game, special education
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Faculteit der Sociale Wetenschappen