The Online Discourse of Virtual Reality and Anxiety

TL;DR

This study uses corpus linguistics to analyze online discussions about virtual reality and anxiety, revealing common themes and language patterns that can inform future therapeutic applications and accessibility improvements.

Contribution

It introduces a novel linguistic analysis of online discourse on VR and anxiety, highlighting key terms and collocations that reflect user perceptions and experiences.

Findings

VR, Oculus, and headset are most frequently discussed.

Common collocations include virtual reality, in virtual reality, and for virtual reality.

Insights into discourse patterns can guide future VR therapy development.

Abstract

VR in the treatment of clinical concerns such as generalized anxiety disorder or social anxiety. VR has created additional pathways to support patient well-being and care. Understanding online discussion of what users think about this technology may further support its efficacy. The purpose of this study was to employ a corpus linguistic methodology to identify the words and word networks that shed light on the online discussion of virtual reality and anxiety. Using corpus linguistics, frequently used words in discussion along with collocation were identified by utilizing Sketch Engine software. The results of the study, based upon the English Trends corpus, identified VR, Oculus, and headset as the most frequently discussed within the VR and anxiety subcorpus. These results point to the development of the virtual system, along with the physical apparatus that makes viewing and engaging with the virtual environment possible. Additional results point to collocation of prepositional phrases such as of virtual reality, in virtual reality, and for virtual reality relating to the design, experience, and development, respectively. These findings offer new perspective on how VR and anxiety together are discussed in general discourse and offer pathways for future opportunities to support counseling needs through development and accessibility. Keywords: anxiety disorders, corpus linguistics, Sketch Engine, and virtual reality VR