Vr And Volitional Pain: Testing Immersive Interventions During A Tattoo

The efficacy of Virtual reality (VR) as a non-pharmacological pain remedy remains widely supported. Yet, despite robust findings establishing VR as a pain reducer, the strength of this claim is weakened by several factors, namely restricted accessibility to vulnerable subjects and variability in pain type/severity. To address these issues, we propose testing the analgesic effects of VR on volitional pain, namely pain experienced during a tattoo. Leveraging qualitative interviews with tattoo artists and customers, a 3-month on-site field experiment at a tattoo parlor was conducted. Preliminary findings support the efficacy of volitional pain as a means by which to test the analgesic effects of VR interventions. Methodological considerations and guidelines for follow-up investigations using this experimental approach are discussed.