Augmented Reality App Helps Reduce Fear of Spiders
A new app — called Phobys — promises to help people overcome their fear of spiders.
The Phobys app was created by researchers at the University of Basel. It uses augmented reality to make it look like there's a spider in front of you when looking through your phone's camera.
The app has 10 levels that help people become more comfortable with a virtual spider. The levels include looking at the spider, getting closer to it and eventually putting your hand underneath it.
Researchers tested the app on 66 people in a study published in the Journal of Anxiety Disorders. The researchers first tested how scared each participant was of spiders by asking them to get as close to one as they could. Participants also completed questionnaires about their fear of spiders.
Half of the participants then used the app at home for six 30-minute sessions over a period of two weeks, while the other half of the group didn't use it at all. Six weeks later, the researchers tested each participant's fear of spiders again.
The study found that the group who used the app showed a reduction in fear and disgust toward spiders in their questionnaires. They were also able to get closer to the real spider than the group who didn't use the app.
The app has a free level in which users can test if they're afraid of the virtual spider. If they are — and they want to do something about it — they can pay $5 to access the other levels.
Many people are afraid of spiders. A 2020 survey from American health care institution FHE Health asked 200 people about their phobias. Losing a loved one, heights, snakes, a public performance and spiders were the things people were most afraid of.
