Extreme reality: Women avoid sexual assault in virtual zone
SMU's Department of Psychology and The Guildhall at SMU have joined forces against dating violence.
Psychology Professors Ernest Jouriles and Renee McDonald, with Guildhall Lecturer Jeff Perryman and Deputy Director Tony Cuevas, are collaborating on a role-playing program that combines virtual reality with behavioral insight to help teach and test sexual assault avoidance techniques.
The program's environment of a rain-lashed car parked in an isolated area immerses women into not just a location, but also a "conversation" with a potential attacker.