The Open TSST-VR

Contact: Ena Alcan

Download the Open TSST-VR here: https://osf.io/cmw2g/

This project develops and evaluates a virtual reality (VR) version of the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), one of the most widely used laboratory paradigms for inducing psychosocial stress. The aim is to provide a freely accessible and adaptable VR-based tool that can be implemented in different languages and tailored to various research needs. By making the TSST available as an open resource, the project seeks to lower barriers for its use, foster cooperation between research groups, and enable multi-site studies with a standardized stressor. Beyond methodological innovation, the project will also explore the possibilities and limitations of VR technology in stress research, contributing to more flexible and scalable approaches to the experimental study of stress and its effects.

Project related publications:

Fellinger, E. (2025). Virtual stress testing: Analyzing endocrine, metabolic, cardiovascular, and psychological responses to the TSST-VR. Neurobiology of Stress, 39(100760). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ynstr.2025.100760

Linnig, K., Seel, S., Von Dawans, B., Standard, W., Zielasko, D., Weyers, B., & Domes, G. (2025). Open TSST VR: Psychobiological reactions to an open version of the Trier Social Stress Test in virtual reality. Behavior Research Methods, 57(5), 147. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13428-025-02662-x

Pfeifer, L. S., Zoellner, C., Wolf, O. T., Domes, G., & Merz, C. J. (2024). Prior exposure to a sensorimotor game in virtual reality does not enhance stress reactivity toward the OpenTSST VR. Stress, 27(1), 2361237. https://doi.org/10.1080/10253890.2024.2361237