Low-Fidelity VRET: Challenging Immersion Dogma With Cognitive Load Theory

Arnfred et al. (2023) highlight that studies prioritize graphical fidelity. This idea hypothesizes that low-fidelity VRET improves outcomes by freeing cognitive resources for fear processing. Building on Ferraioli et al.’s (2024) disgust-focused work, cartoonish stimuli may heighten absurdity, reducing threat perception. Unlike Phobos’ photorealism (Petersen et al., 2024), this uses abstract environments (e.g., floating geometric shapes representing heights). It challenges the "realism = efficacy" assumption in Hidayat et al. (2024) and aligns with cognitive load theory: simpler stimuli may enhance learning transfer to real-world contexts.

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