Introduction:
College students frequently experience stress in socially evaluative situations, and individuals with high trait anxiety are particularly vulnerable. Social virtual reality (VR) offers a controlled yet immersive environment to examine stress responses and intervention effects.


Purpose:
This study examined whether cognitive restructuring and mindfulness-based meditation alleviate stress and anxiety induced by a social VR-based Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), and whether trait anxiety moderates intervention effectiveness.


Method:
Sixty university students were randomly assigned to cognitive restructuring, mindfulness-based meditation, or control conditions. All participants completed a social VR-based TSST delivered via the StressMeta platform. Perceived stress and anxiety were assessed before and after the TSST, and trait anxiety was measured using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory.


Results:
The social VR-based TSST significantly increased perceived stress but did not significantly elevate anxiety. Neither intervention produced overall reductions in stress or anxiety compared to the control condition. However, trait anxiety moderated intervention effects: participants with high trait anxiety showed greater reductions in stress and anxiety following cognitive restructuring and mindfulness-based meditation, whereas those with low trait anxiety showed limited or adverse effects.


Conclusions:
Findings suggest that brief cognitive and mindfulness-based interventions may be particularly beneficial for individuals with high trait anxiety when applied in immersive social VR settings. Social VR paradigms hold promise for stress research and tailored psychological interventions, highlighting the importance of individual differences in intervention responsiveness.