Facilitating empathy through virtual reality

Title
Facilitating empathy through virtual reality
Publication Date
2017
Author(s)
Schutte, Nicola
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3294-7659
Email: nschutte@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:nschutte
Stilinovic, Emma
Type of document
Journal Article
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
Springer New York LLC
Place of publication
United States of America
DOI
10.1007/s11031-017-9641-7
UNE publication id
une:22698
Abstract
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.
Link
Citation
Motivation and Emotion, 41(6), p. 708-712
ISSN
1573-6644
0146-7239
Start page
708
End page
712

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