Virtual Environment Technology to Prevent Teen Smoking

 

 

OVERVIEW

 

Virtual Environment Technology to Prevent Teen Smoking is a program that uses a virtual environment to teach adolescents about the dangers of smoking and how to handle situations involving smoking.  Participants are able to explore a virtual world and interact with characters offering them cigarettes, as well as learn new facts about smoking.  In a random-assignment evaluation, participants in the intervention had a significant increase in realistic perceptions of peer and adult drugs use.  There were no impacts on drug use, type of drug used, and intent to use drugs.

 

DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM

 

Target population: Adolescents

 

Virtual Environment (VE) Technology to Prevent Teen Smoking provides information on the dangers of smoking and anxiety coping skills.  The Virtual Environment Technology provides an opportunity to practice assertiveness skills with virtual characters.  The system includes goggles, synthesized speech, electromagnetic spatial trackers on head and hand, a hand-held controller, and simulated speech recognition to provide an immersive, interactive environment.  In the virtual world, participants enter a virtual park and are able to move around and interact with objects such as trees, benches, and characters attempting to get the participant to smoke.  Participants can respond to different options that the program presents them ranging from accepting a cigarette to refusal.  Points are given for more desirable responses.  When a participant has earned enough points, they have the option of exploring other environments, such as inside virtual lungs where information is given and more points can be earned.

 

Participants are also supplied with a workbook, relaxation tape, and participate in discussion.  The intervention lasts eight weeks, with one 50-minute meeting per week.  Prior to the first meeting, participants are tutored for 30 minutes on how to use the VE Technology.  During the weekly meetings, participants first spend 10 minutes discussing personal goals and workbook material with a research assistant.  The next 30 minutes are spent using the VE equipment in the virtual world.  The remaining time is used to adjust equipment and complete questionnaires.

 

 

EVALUATION(S) OF PROGRAM

 

Nemire, K., Beil, J., & Swan, R. (1999). Preventing teen smoking with virtual reality. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 2(1).

 

Evaluated population: 60 seventh-graders from one middle school participated in the study.

 

Approach:  Students were screened to determine that they have not ingested alcohol or drugs in the past 72 hours, had no psychiatric morbidity, psychotropic medications, history of seizure disorders, intracranial pathology, or susceptibility to motion sickness.  The students were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: Virtual Environment (VE) program, Life Skills Training (LST) group session, and a nonintervention control group.  The VE program is implemented as discussed above.  The LST group session involves group discussion and role-playing activities centered on self-esteem, decision making, dangers of smoking, anxiety coping skills, and assertiveness skills.  Participants met in groups for eight weekly meetings consisting of personal goal sharing, role-playing, anxiety coping, and a 20 minute relaxation period.  Further information on LST is available here.

 

Smoking knowledge and behavior were assessed using a questionnaire.  Saliva samples were also taken.

 

Results: There were no differences in frequency of drug use, type of drug used, intent to use drugs, and intent to use different kinds of drugs between the three groups at post-test.  The VE group's perception of drug use by peers and adults became significantly more realistic, while the control group's perception of drug use by peers and adults because significantly more distorted.  The VE group was significantly more likely to agree with the statement "Becoming a smoker reflects poor judgment," while the control group was significantly more likely to disagree with the statement.  There were no significant impacts on decision making.  There was a significant main effect of group for coping with anxiety.

 

 

 

 

SOURCES FOR MORE INFORMATION

 

Link to program curriculum: http://www.amazon.com/Alcohol-Screening-Intervention-College-Students/dp/1572303921 

 

References

 

Nemire, K., Beil, J., & Swan, R. (1999). Preventing teen smoking with virtual reality. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 2(1).

 

Program categorized in this guide according to the following:

 

Evaluated participant ages: 11-12

 

Program components: school-based

 

Measured outcomes: physical health, mental health

 

KEYWORDS: Middle Childhood (6-11), Adolescence (12-17), School-based, Children (3-11), Adolescents (12-17), Tobacco Use, Conflict Resolution Skills, Self Esteem

 

Program information last updated 5/11/2009.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

		© Child Trends 2003