Virtual realities provide an outstanding tool in anxiety research. A fear conditioning study
investigates and illustrates the development of anxiety disorders in humans. Hannah Genheimer
describes the scientific background of fear and anxiety and presents an empirical study in a
highly controlled virtual environment. Psychophysiological as well as subjective data on the
participants' fear and anxiety clearly show contextual fear conditioning. Cue conditioning in
the light of one-trial learning is discussed. The results emphasize the promising application
of virtual environments in psychotherapy.
