Empathy and Perspective Taking

VR increased empathy and action, particularly towards homelessness, but effectiveness depended on user engagement.

Overview

Authors: Virtual Human Interaction Lab

Publication Date: No date provided

Link: https://vhil.stanford.edu/projects/2020/empathy-and-perspective-taking

Keywords: VR, perspective taking, immersive technology, cognitive empathy, bias reduction, virtual embodiment, HCI, behavioral change, intergroup relations

Type: Blog

Summary

Researchers have studied VR’s role in fostering empathy for over a decade. Recent projects, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, explored empathy at scale, particularly toward homelessness. Studies showed VR increased empathy and action, but effectiveness depended on user engagement. Current research tests whether VR-driven empathy in one domain (e.g., homelessness) can influence behavior in others (e.g., climate change).