An interventional study of Exposure Intervention Plus Music Induction and Exposure Intervention With No Music Induction in Acrophobia, sponsored by Boston University Charles River Campus. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-06-25.
Sponsored by Boston University Charles River Campus · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
Exposure-based cognitive behavior therapy is an efficacious treatment for acrophobia (fear of heights) and has been delivered effectively in a virtual reality (VR) environment. The present study is designed to evaluate the effects of liked, non-lyrical background music on the efficacy of a brief VR exposure intervention.
The goal of this clinical trial is to compare acrophobia (fear of heights) outcomes for VR exposure therapy in college students with elevated acrophobia when listening to music during exposure versus no music. The overarching aim of the current study is to determine how liked, non-lyrical background music will influence acrophobia outcomes after a brief exposure therapy session in VR.
The study involves three phases: (1) initial screening, (2) in-person assessment and a brief exposure intervention for a subset of participants with elevated acrophobia, and (3) a one-week follow-up assessment conducted online. Students who choose to participate and screen high on an acrophobia scale will be assigned to an experimental or control condition prior to undergoing VR based exposure therapy. Acrophobia outcomes are measured immediately post-intervention and one week later.
Researchers will compare participants in the music condition to participants in the non-music condition to see if acrophobia outcomes differ.
Exclusion Criteria:
Participants will be presented with a list of instrumental songs without lyrics from popular movies. Participants will then rank the songs in order of those they would like to hear the most. During VR heights exposure the participants' highest-ranked songs will be played in the background at a low volume.
Behavioral: Exposure Intervention Plus Music Induction
Participants will undergo VR heights exposure without background music.
Behavioral: Exposure Intervention With No Music Induction
VR exposure for acrophobia with background music.
VR exposure for acrophobia with no background music.
Acrophobia (Fear of Heights)
Assessed using the Acrophobia Questionnaire (AQ) Anxiety Subscale
Time frame: Comparison of pre-exposure scores to scores from the follow-up survey one week after exposure
Valance
Self-report measure of how participant feels about experiencing high-height environments.
Time frame: Comparison of pre-exposure scores to scores from the follow-up survey one week after exposure
Height-Relevant Interpretations
Assessed using the Heights Interpretation Questionnaire (HIQ)
Time frame: Comparison of pre-exposure scores to scores from the follow-up survey one week after exposure
Plan to share: No
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This study is completed, as verified in Jun 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Acrophobia
Boston University Charles River Campus