Facilitating empathy through virtual reality

This research experimentally investigated whether virtual reality experience can prompt greater empathy and whether greater engagement with a virtual reality connects this virtual reality experience to empathy. Randomly assigned participants viewed a documentary featuring a young girl living in a re...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Motivation and emotion 2017-12, Vol.41 (6), p.708-712
Main Authors: Schutte, Nicola S., Stilinović, Emma J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Behavioral Science and Psychology
Clinical Psychology
Emotions
Empathy
Original Paper
Pandas
Personality and Social Psychology
Psychology
Refugee camps
Virtual reality
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Summary:This research experimentally investigated whether virtual reality experience can prompt greater empathy and whether greater engagement with a virtual reality connects this virtual reality experience to empathy. Randomly assigned participants viewed a documentary featuring a young girl living in a refugee camp either in a virtual reality format or in a control two-dimensional format. Results indicated that the virtual reality experience resulted in greater engagement and a higher level of empathy for the refugee girl compared to the control condition. Greater engagement was a process connecting the virtual reality experience to empathy. Virtual reality has the potential to influence interpersonal emotions such as empathy.
ISSN:0146-7239
1573-6644
DOI:10.1007/s11031-017-9641-7