As VR becomes more accessible, its potential as an “empathy machine” for promoting pro-social attitudes is of growing interest. Scholars debate whether virtual reality (VR) experiences in fact generate empathy or shift attitudes and behavior. A sub-set of these scholars have further sought to establish whether VR’s impact is larger than what can be achieved with traditional (and cheaper, more readily accessible) interventions, like reading about others’ experiences or watching two-dimensional videos.
Meta-analyses by Lee, Shin, and Gil (2024), Nickolaou, Schwabe, and Boomgaarden (2022), and Martingano, Herrera, and Konrath (2021) demonstrate that VR experiences can have a statistically significant, positive effect on empathy; however, they find important variation across studies, with some studies finding little to no impact. Moreover, research is mixed on the degree to which VR induces empathy relative to other interventions. For example, Herrera et al. (2018) find no difference in the impact of VR versus less immersive perspective-taking on empathy toward homeless individuals but find that VR prompts a greater willingness to sign a petition supporting the homeless. Herrera et al.’s study raises an important question that has attracted very little attention from political scientists: Can VR shift political opinions and behavior? Our study aims to help fill this gap.
Our study investigates whether VR increases empathy and shapes individuals’ attitudes and behaviors regarding marginalized groups and related political debates. Specifically, we focus on the issue of solitary confinement, and we integrate the use of physiological data to deepen our understanding of the role of emotional arousal as a potential mechanism for VR’s impact. Remarkably view works on VR and societal attitudes use physiological measures (Lee, Shin, and Gil 2024), yet measures such as skin conductivity and heart rate are well-established measures of emotional arousal. We contend they may provide more objective measures of emotional engagement and empathy than standard questionnaires.
Our study’s central goal is to identify:
1. The relative impact of different narrative modalities (text with images, two-dimensional video, or immersive VR video) on reported empathy, attitudes toward the incarcerated, legislative preferences, and willingness to engage in political action;
2. The emotional arousal generated by different modalities (as measured by heart rate and skin conductance [GSR]); and
3. Any correlation between attitudinal shifts and behavioral outcomes and emotional arousal.
To achieve these goals, our team of student research assistants has been conducting lab experiments at the Oakland XR Lab and the Boston Usability Lab throughout the 2024-2025 academic year. The resulting data will allow us to explore not only attitudinal changes but also the underlying physiological responses associated with immersive VR experiences, providing a more holistic understanding of the effects of VR on empathy and political attitudes. By assessing the impact of VR on political attitudes, the study contributes to a growing body of knowledge on the application of technology in political science. Our insights can be applied in educational or policy-related contexts to promote more inclusive and empathetic political perspectives towards marginalized populations.
Project Team:
- Co-PrincipaI: Seo Eun Yang, Martha Johnson
- Graduate Student: Jianzhe Zhu
- Undergraduate Students: Ella Bramwell, Sandra Li, Zhuoran Gao, Mahishi Murarka, Somia Kaid, Bruno Garcia
