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Publications

The commitment to scientifically grounded development is reflected in VTplus’ active involvement in numerous research studies. Selected studies are presented in the VR Blog, accompanied by images, videos, and additional information. Book contributions and reviews are listed in overview of relevant literature.

Scientific publications (Use of virtual worlds in empirical research)

  • Diemer JE, Sich M, Lange B, Müller M, Koller M, Schäfer P, Meixner G, Brunnauer A and Zwanzger P (2025) Automated interaction may reduce emotional reactivity in VR: a randomized study with healthy participants. Front. Virtual Real. 6:1536968. doi: 10.3389/frvir.2025.1536968
  • Botrel L, Kreilinger A, Müller M, Pfeiffer M, Scheu V, Vowinkel N, Zechner R, Käthner I and Kübler A (2025) The influence of time and visualization on neurofeedback-guided parietal alpha downregulation and sense of presence in virtual reality. Front. Neurosci. 19:1476264. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2025.1476264
  • Rodrigues, J., Ziebell, P., Müller, M., Hewig, A. (2022). Standardizing continuous data classifications in a virtual T-maze using two-layer feedforward networks. Sci Rep 12, 12879 (2022). doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-17013-5
  • Kroczek LOH, Pfaller M, Lange B, Müller M. & Mühlberger A. (2020) Interpersonal Distance DuringReal-Time Social Interaction:Insights From Subjective Experience,Behavior, and Physiology. Frontiers in Psychiatry 11:561.doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00561
  • Ronchi, E., Kinateder, M., Müller, M., Jost, M., Nehfischer, M. , Pauli, P. &. Mühlberger, A. (2015). Evacuation travel paths in virtual reality experiments for tunnel safety analysis. Fire Safety Journal 71 (0):257-267. doi
  • Kinateder, M., Ronchi, E., Gromer, D., Müller, M., Jost, M., Nehfischer, M., Mühlberger, A., & Pauli, P. (2014). Social influence on route choice in a virtual reality tunnel fire. Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 26, Part A(0), 116-125. doi
  • Kinateder, M., Müller, M., Jost, M., Mühlberger, A. & Pauli, P. (2014). Social influence in a virtual tunnel fire – influence of conflicting information on evacuation behavior. Journal of Applied Ergonomics. doi
  • Ewald, H., Glotzbach-Schoon, E., Gerdes. A.B.M., Andreatta, M., Müller, M., Mühlberger, A. & Pauli, P. (2014). Delay and trace fear conditioning in a complex virtual learning environment—neural substrates of extinction. Front. Hum. Neurosci. 8:323. doi
  • Glotzbach-Schoon, E; Andreatta, M; Mühlberger, A; Pauli, P (2013). Context conditioning in virtual reality as a model for pathological anxiety.e-Neuroforum. 2013;4,3:63-70.
  • Peperkorn HM, Mühlberger A. (2013). The impact of different perceptual cues on fear and presence in virtual reality. Studies in Health Technololgy and Informatics. 2013;191:75-9. PMID
  • Glotzbach-Schoon, E., Tadda, R., Andreatta, M., Tröger, C., Ewald, H., Grillon, C., Pauli, P., Mühlberger, A. (2013). Enhanced Discrimination Between Threatening and Safe Contexts in High-Anxious Individuals. Biological Psychology.
  • Kinateder, M., Pauli, P., Müller, M., Krieger, J., Heimbecher, F., Rönnau, I., Bergerhausen, U., Vollmann, G., Vogt, P., & Mühlberger, A. (2013). Human Behaviour in Severe Tunnel Accidents: Effects of Information and Behavioral Training. Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 17, 20-32. doi
  • Glotzbach, E., Ewald, H., Andreatta, M., Pauli, P., Mühlberger, A. (2012) Contextual fear conditioning predicts subsequent avoidance behavior in a virtual reality environment. Cognition and Emotion. 26, 1256-1272.
  • Kinateder, M., Pauli, P., Müller, M., & Mühlberger, A. (2012). Stresserleben und verändertes Fahrverhalten nach einem virtuellen Autounfall. [Stress experience and changes in driving behaviour after a virtual driving accident]. Zeitschrift für Klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie,41. 190-200. doi
  • Tröger, C, Ewald, H., Glotzbach, E., Pauli, P., & Mühlberger, A. (2012). Does pre-exposure inhibit fear context conditioning? A Virtual Reality Study. Journal of Neural Transmission, 119, 709-719.
  • Mühlberger, A., Neumann, R., Lozo, L., Müller, M. & Hettinger, M. (2012). Bottom-up and top-down influences of beliefs on emotional responses: Fear of heights in a virtual environment. In B.K. Wiederhold and G. Riva (Eds.), Annual Review of Cybertherapy and Telemedicine 2012 (pp 133-137). IOS Press. Amsterdam.
  • Wieser, M.J., Pauli, P., Grosseibl, M., Molzow, I., & Mühlberger, A. (2010). Virtual Social Interaction in Social Anxiety – The Impact of Sex, Gaze and Interpersonal Distance. CyberPsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking. 13, 547-554.
  • Mühlberger, A., Neumann, R., Wieser, M. J. & Pauli, P. (2008). The impact of changes in spatial distance on emotional responses. Emotion, 8, 192-198.
  • Mühlberger, A., Wieser, M. J. and Pauli, P. (2008). Visual attention during virtual social situations depends on social anxiety. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 11, 425-430.
  • Mühlberger, A., Wieser, M. J. and Pauli, P. (2008). The darkness-enhanced startle responses in ecological valid environments: A virtual tunnel driving experiment. Biological Psychology, 77, 47-52.
  • Mühlberger, A., Bülthoff, H. H., Wiedemann, G. & Pauli, P. (2007). Virtual reality for psychophysiological assessment of phobic fear: responses during virtual tunnel drives. Psychological Assessment. 19. 340-346

Scientific research on anxiety treatment and psychotherapy research using virtual reality

  • Diemer, J., Domschke, K., Mühlberger, A., Winter, B., Zavorotnyy, M., Notzon, S., Silling, K., Arolt, V. and Zwanzger, P. (2013). Acute anxiolytic effects of quetiapine during virtual reality exposure—A double-blind placebo-controlled trial in patients with specific phobia. European Neuropsychopharmacology, 23, 1551–1560. doi: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2013.01.001
  • Shiban, Y., Pauli, P., & Mühlberger, A. (2013). Effect of multiple context exposure on renewal in spider phobia. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 51, 68-74. DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2012.10.007
  • Mühlberger, A., Sperber, M., Wieser, M. J., Pauli, P. (2008). A virtual reality behavior avoidance test (VR-BAT) for the assessment of spider phobia. Journal of CyberTherapy & Rehabilitation 1,2.
  • Mühlberger, A., Weik, A., Pauli, P. & Wiedemann, G. (2006). One-session virtual reality exposure treatment for fear of flying: one year follow-up and graduation flight accompaniment effects. Psychotherapy Research. 16, 26-40.
  • Mühlberger, A., Petrusek, S., Herrmann, M. J. & Pauli, P. (2005). Biocyberpsychologie: Subjektive und physiologische Reaktionen von Flugphobikern und Gesunden bei Exposition mit virtuellen Flügen [Biocyber psychology: subjective and physiological reactions in flight phobics and normal subjects during flight simulations]. Zeitschrift für Klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie. 34, 133-143.
  • Mühlberger, A., Wiedemann, G. & Pauli, P. (2005). Subjective and physiologic reactions of flight phobics during VR exposure and treatment outcome: What adds motion simulation? Annual Review of CyberTherapy and Telemedicine: A decade of VR, 3, 185-192.
  • Mühlberger, A., Wiedemann, G. and Pauli, P. (2003). Efficacy of a one-session virtual reality exposure treatment for fear of flying. Psychotherapy Research, 13(3), 323-336.
  • Mühlberger, A., Herrmann, M. J., Wiedemann, G., Ellgring, H. & Pauli, P. (2001). Repeated exposure of flight phobics to flights in virtual reality. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 39, 1033-1050.

Conference contributions

  • Koller, M., Schäfer, P., Sich, M., Diemer, J., Müller, M., & Meixner, G. (2018). Next Generation Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy Systems : a Study exploring Design Implications. Gehalten auf der 9th International Conference on Intelligent Systems 2018. urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-244032
  • Söhnchen, Bastian; Müller, Mathias & Pauli, Paul (2017). Advances  in  the  research  of  anxiety  and  anxiety  disorders  using  virtual  reality. Insights from Eye Movement Research with Immersive Technologies, 19th European Conference on Eye Movements. 2017; 40.
  • Mühlberger, Andreas; Kinateder, Max; Brütting, Johanna; Eder, Silke; Müller, Mathias; Pauli, Paul (2013). Influence of Information, Instructions on Human Behavior in Tunnel Accidents: A Virtual Reality Study.Virtuelle und Erweiterte Realität, 10. Workshop der GI-Fachgruppe VR/AR. 2013;49-60
  • Kinateder, M., Müller, M., Mühlberger, A., & Pauli, P. (2012). Social Influence in a Virtual Tunnel Fire – Influence of Passive Virtual Bystanders. In 5th International Symposium on Human Behavior in Fire Symposium 2012 (pp. 506-516). London: Interscience Communications Ltd.
  • Bärmann, S., Mühlberger, A., Müller, M., & Pauli, P. (2006). Einfluss visueller Tiefeninformation auf Gleichgewicht und Angsterleben bei Höhenängstlichen. In G. W. Alpers, H. Krebs, A. Mühlberger, P. Weyers & P. Pauli (Eds.), Wissenschaftliche Beiträge zum 24. Symposium der Fachgruppe Klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie der DGPs (pp. 88). Würzburg: Pabst Science Publishers.

Others…

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VR Motion-Lab

Flight simulation with motion chair at University of Würzburg. »

VR Motion-Lab

Tunnel drive with motion chair at University of Würzburg.»

VR PowerWall-Lab

Test configuration with PowerWall at University of Würzburg.»

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