| Technique presentation session |
Psychoeducation with the necessary explanations of the nature of the procedures: exposure and virtual reality exposure. Anxiety hierarchy (from low- to high-anxiety scenes). |
| Sessions 1 and 2 |
Scene 1: Go for a walk on the street. The therapist asks the participant to walk down a street, where he/she will be observed by passersby. |
| Sessions 3 and 4 |
Scene 2: Approached on the street. The therapist asks the participant to walk down a street and asks a stranger for information, e.g., where the nearest pharmacy is. He or she thanks the stranger and repeats the same question to another. The therapist pushes the button on the auxiliary keyboard, and each character replies the same way: “Go straight ahead and turn right.” The characters are a teenager, a man, a woman, and, finally, a small group. |
| Sessions 5 and 6 |
Scene 3: Entering a party. The therapist asks the participant to enter a house where a party is taking place and be observed by the guests. |
| Sessions 7 and 8 |
Scene 4: Dialog at the party. The therapist tells the participant he/she is at a friend’s party. He/she is then introduced by one of the characters to a stranger at the party, who initiates a conversation. The questions regard the subject’s acquaintance with a supposed friend of the party’s host/hostess, previously set before the start of virtual exposure. The therapist pushes the button on the auxiliary keyboard to insert the character’s questions, e.g., “how long have you guys known each other?”. |
| Sessions 9 and 10 |
Scene 5: Guest reception. The therapist says the participant is the host/hostess and must welcome the guests. |
| Sessions 11 and 12 |
Scene 6: Speech at the party. The therapist says the participant is the host/hostess and has to give a speech thanking the guests. Depending on the feared situation, the participant may eat, drink, or write in front of the guests. One of the characters takes a cell phone call, another coughs, and another whispers to the person next to him/her and laughs out loud. |
