A Virtual Reality Couples' Intervention for Sexual Victimization Prevention: a Gender-swapping Transformative Approach

This study is a randomized controlled trial (RCT) designed to evaluate the efficacy of REVISE (REalidad Virtual Inmersiva y SExualidad), an immersive virtual reality (IVR) intervention, to promote empathy and reduce sexual harassment behaviors in heterosexual cisgender men. This study will assess whether experiencing sexual harassment from a first-person perspective using IVR embodiment techniques can lead to changes in attitudes and behaviors related to gender roles and sexual violence.

Study Design

* Design: Randomized controlled trial (RCT) with a 1:1:1 allocation ratio. * Population: 90 heterosexual cisgender couples (180 participants) aged 18-39 years. * Study Setting: This study will be conducted in a controlled laboratory environment at the Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation Hub of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), equipped with advanced VR and physiological tracking technologies. * Conditions:

1. Identity Exchange with Exposure to Sexual Harassment (Experimental Condition 1) 2. Identity Exchange without Harassment Exposure (Experimental Condition 2) 3. Third-person Observer Condition (Control Group) * Intervention Duration: One VR session (\~60 minutes) with pre- and post-intervention assessments and a three-month follow-up.

Intervention Procedures

1. Pre-intervention assessment

* Participants complete self-report questionnaires measuring empathy, gender role attitudes, and harassment perceptions. * Baseline physiological measures (eye tracking and pupillometry) are recorded. - Participants are assigned to one of the three conditions. 2. VR Intervention:

* Participants undergo a mirror embodiment task to establish a sense of virtual body ownership. * The male participant embodies his female partner's avatar in a VR scenario (conditions 1 and 2). * Participants experience the designated VR scenario (harassment, neutral, or observational). * Physiological responses are collected in real time. 3. Post-intervention assessment

* Participants complete self-report measures to assess changes in empathy and gender attitudes. * Physiological data analysis (pupil dilation and eye gaze fixation) is conducted. - Semi-structured interviews explore subjective experiences. 4. Three-month follow-up:

* Participants complete longitudinal measures to assess sustained behavioral and attitudinal changes.

Outcome Measures

1\. Primary Outcome: Change in empathy scores (Interpersonal Reactivity Index). 2. Secondary Outcomes:

* Gender role attitudes (Ambivalent Sexism Inventory). * Dyadic relationship quality and flourishing * Harassment-related attitudes - Eye-tracking and pupillometry responses during VR. * Qualitative insights from the post-intervention interviews.

Sample Size Justification A sample of 90 couples (180 individuals) was determined based on an estimated effect size of d = 0.5, an alpha risk of 0.05, and a power of 0.86. Participants will be randomized using block randomization (block sizes of 3 or 6) to ensure balance across the conditions.

Data Management and Quality Assurance

1. Data Collection

* Self-reported data will be collected using secure online survey tools. * Physiological data will be automatically recorded using VR-compatible eye-tracking and pupillometry systems. 2. Data Validation and Security

* The dataset will undergo automatic range checks to detect anomalies. * Double data entry procedures will be implemented for self-report responses. * Only authorized researchers will have access to identifiable data, stored on encrypted servers. 3. Missing Data Handling:

* Missing values will be addressed using multiple imputation techniques. * Sensitivity analyses will be conducted to determine the impact of the missing data.

Statistical Analysis Plan

1. Primary Analysis:

\- Repeated measures ANOVA will assess within- and between-group differences in empathy scores over time. 2. Secondary Analyses:

* Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) will model longitudinal changes in gender attitudes. * Mixed-effects models will analyze physiological responses (eye tracking and pupil dilation). * Qualitative data from the interviews will be subjected to thematic analysis using NVivo software.

Ethical Considerations

* The study has received approval from the Research Ethics Committee of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya. * Participants will provide informed consent prior to participation. * Psychological debriefing and support resources will be available to participants.

Dissemination Plan

The findings will be as follows:

* Peer-reviewed journal publications. * Academic conferences in psychology, gender studies, and VR research. * Open science repositories for data transparency.

• Change in Gender Role Attitudes (Ambivalent Sexism Inventory - ASI) [Срок оценки: Baseline, immediately post-intervention, 3-month follow-up]
• Change in Communication Patterns (Communication Patterns Questionnaire - CPQ) [Срок оценки: Baseline, immediately post-intervention, 3-month follow-up]
• Change in Relationship Satisfaction (Dyadic Adjustment Scale - DAS) [Срок оценки: Baseline, immediately post-intervention, 3-month follow-up]
• Change in Couple Flourishing (Couple Flourishing Measure - CFM) [Срок оценки: Baseline, immediately post-intervention, 3-month follow-up]
• Change in Acceptance of Modern Myths about Sexual Aggression (AMMSA Scale) [Срок оценки: Baseline, immediately post-intervention, 3-month follow-up]
• Change in Body Ownership Illusion [Срок оценки: During VR exposure at two assessment points: (1) Mirror embodiment phase (approximately 5 minutes after VR start) and (2) Farewell phase (at the end of VR exposure, approximately 15 minutes after VR start).]
• Change in Physiological Arousal (Pupillometry) [Срок оценки: From the start of VR exposure until the completion of the VR session (approximately 15 minutes). Data will be collected in real-time during this period.]
• Change in Visual Attention (Eye-Tracking Data) [Срок оценки: From the start of VR exposure until the completion of the VR session (approximately 15 minutes). Data will be collected in real-time during this period.]
• Changes in affective responses [Срок оценки: During VR exposure at one assessment point: Farewell phase (at the end of VR exposure, approximately 15 minutes after VR start).]
• Qualitative Insights from Participant Experience [Срок оценки: Immediately post-intervention]