Designing an Augmented Reality Application as a Tool for Entomophobia Treatment

Fear of insects or entomophobia is a prevalent phobia that causes irrational fear of insects. People suffering from entomophobia are afraid of insects even though they realize that they pose no real danger. Despite this awareness, they are unable to control their phobias, and the physical symptoms they experience include anxiety, nausea, tightness in the chest, panic attacks, rapid heartbeat, sweating, hyperventilation, shaking, and trembling. These symptoms can interfere with daily activities and require effective therapy. Alternatively, this research aims to develop the so-called Insecto-Aid, an augmented reality (AR) technology to help treat entomophobia in safer ways. 45 respondents were selected through convenience sampling and given a set of questionnaires, and based on the results, it was indicated that Insecto-Aid has potential as a useful method for addressing entomophobia.