The impact of virtual reality analog-trauma films and Tetris gameplay duration on intrusive memories.

In the aftermath of traumatic events, disrupting the consolidation of memories into long-term storage may decrease the frequency of subsequent intrusive memories and perhaps prevent the onset of posttraumatic stress disorder. Initial tests of this hypothesis, in which participants watched an analog-trauma film and then engaged in a visuospatial task (playing Tetris), have yielded promising results. We aimed to extend previous research in two key ways: by examining the effect of film modality (virtual reality [VR] headset vs. standard monitor) on the ecological validity of analog-trauma studies, and by varying the memory interference task duration (with 0-, 7-, and 14-min conditions) toward identifying the minimum duration needed to meaningfully reduce intrusive memories. In a sample of 173 healthy participants, we found that viewing analog-trauma films in VR (relative to a standard monitor) increased "presence" though not negative affect or intrusive memories. Unexpectedly, playing Tetris for 14 min resulted in more intrusive memories across the subsequent 5 days than playing for 0 min. Desirably, film type and interference task duration did not significantly impact declarative memory of the analog-trauma film from 5 days prior. Findings suggest that VR analog-trauma films promote greater verisimilitude, a component of ecological validity. Explanations for the unanticipated impact of Tetris and hence potential boundary conditions of its benefits are discussed.