Resumen de Effectiveness of Virtual Reality in Reducing Public Speaking Anxiety: A Pilot Study

Maria Oliveira, Raquel Simões de Almeida, Paulo Veloso Gomes, João Donga, Antonio Marques, Bruno Teixeira, Javier Pereira-Loureiro

• Public speaking anxiety (glossophobia) is a manifestation of social anxiety that affects a significant portion of the population, jeopardizing performance in academic, professional, and social contexts. This pilot study examines the effectiveness of virtual reality (VR) as a therapeutic tool for reducing public speaking anxiety. Over six VR simulation sessions, the physiological responses of 30 participants, including heart rate (HR) and electrodermal activity, were monitored alongside psychometric assessments. Results demonstrated a significant reduction in HR and improved self-efficacy. These findings recommend combining VR with traditional therapeutic approaches and emerging neuroscience-based methods, such as neurofeedback, to create more personalized treatment interventions.