Extended Reality (XR) for Cynophobia: A Comprehensive Review on Animal Phobia Treatments and Future Directions

Cynophobia, the fear of dogs, is a common animal phobia that can cause intense anxiety and significantly disrupt daily life. This comprehensive review analyzes 136 articles to examine current developments in animal phobias, with particular focus on cynophobia. We address essential concepts including the phenomenology of phobic fear, its etiology, behavioral manifestations, and mechanisms of fear transmission. Understanding both animal behavior and human responses to such encounters is crucial to this analysis. The review then examines Extended Reality (XR) approaches for treating cynophobia and related anxiety disorders, including virtual therapeutic agents, gamified exposure therapy, biofeedback interventions, and storytelling. We conclude by identifying emerging developments at the intersection of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), XR technology, and the treatment of cynophobia.