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Personal and psychophysiological characteristics of the witness experience of cyberaggression in virtual reality

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 September 2022

G. Soldatova ,
S. Chigarkova ,
E. Nikonova  and
D. Vinitskiy
G. Soldatova
Affiliation:
Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty Of Psychology, Moscow, Russian Federation
S. Chigarkova*
Affiliation:
Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty Of Psychology, Moscow, Russian Federation
E. Nikonova
Affiliation:
Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty Of Psychology, Moscow, Russian Federation
D. Vinitskiy
Affiliation:
Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty Of Psychology, Moscow, Russian Federation
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

The integration of virtual reality into everyday life is changing sociocultural practices, including those related to cyberaggression, which causes negative consequences for mental health and well-being. Particular attention needs to be paid to the poorly researched but widespread roles of bystanders and defenders in cyberaggression (Machackova, 2020; Polanco-Levican, Salvo-Garrido, 2021).

Objectives

The aim is to study the behavioral witness strategies in cyberaggression in VR and their relation to personal and psychophysiological characteristics.

Methods

50 adolescents aged 14-18 years old (50% female) witnessed cyberaggression in an experimental situation in the virtual space of VR-chat. Participants also filled Ten-Item Personality Inventory (Gosling et al., 2003; Egorova, Parshikova, 2016), I7-Impulsiveness (Eysenck, Eysenck, 1985; Kornilova, Dolnikova, 2011), Prosocial Behaviour (Furmanov, Kuhtova, 1998). To determine the functional state Heart rate variability (UPTF 1/30 Psychophysiologist, Mediсom) was measured before and after the experiment.

Results

Behavioral strategies in VR-aggression were divided into uninvolved bystanders (58%) and defenders (42%). All participants experienced stress and functional state decline when faced with cyberaggression, but the defenders were more affected (U=207, p<0.043). Defenders were more likely to have higher social responsibility (U=207, p<0.056) and lower neuroticism (U=208, p<0.054). There were no significant differences in impulsiveness.

Conclusions

Cyberaggression in a virtual environment is stressful, especially for active defenders, who are more included in the situation compared to passive bystanders. The prosocial role of a defender rather than a passive bystander may be related to such characteristics as social responsibility and emotional stability, but not to impulsiveness. The research was supported by RSF (project No. 18-18-00365)

Disclosure

This work was supported by the Russian Science Foundation, project # 18-18-00365.

Keywords

neuroticismheart rate variabilityvirtual realitycyberaggression
Type
Abstract
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 65 , Special Issue S1: Abstracts of the 30th European Congress of Psychiatry , June 2022 , pp. S223
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Psychiatric Association
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