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

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of REVISE (REalidad Virtual Inmersiva y SExualidad), an immersive virtual reality (IVR) intervention designed to promote empathy and reduce sexual harassment behaviors in heterosexual cisgender men. The main questions that this study aims to answer are as follows. Does experiencing gender swapping in IVR increase empathy towards survivors of sexual harassment? Does the intervention modify attitudes toward gender roles and sexual harassment? Researchers will compare the three experimental groups to evaluate the effects of IVR: 1. Identity Exchange Group with Exposure to Sexual Harassment: Participants embodied their partner's identity in a VR harassment scenario. 2. Identity Exchange Group without Harassment Exposure: Participants embodied their partner's identity in a neutral VR scenario. 3. Third-person Observer Group: Participants observe a harassment scenario in VR from their own perspective. Participants will: 1. Attend one virtual reality session in a laboratory setting. 2. Undergo pre- and post-intervention assessments and a three-month follow-up. 3. Complete self-report questionnaires and physiological measures (eye tracking and pupillometry). 4. Participate in semi-structured interviews about their experiences. This study aims to explore how immersive VR embodiment can be used as a tool for gender violence prevention by fostering perspective-taking and behavioral change.

NCT Number	NCT06839937
Lead Sponsor	Universitat Oberta de Catalunya Collaborators: Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Spain, European Social Fund
Conditions	Sexual Harassment, Gender Based Violence, Empathy, Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy
Enrollment	180 participants
Start Date	2027-03-30
Primary Completion	2027-03-30 (estimated)
Study Completion	2027-03-30 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-03-23