Being Einstien in VR could give a boost to self-esteem – Technology News, Firstpost

A virtual reality experience of being in Albert Einstein's body can help people with low self-esteem achieve better results on cognitive tests, according to a study. After an "Einstein" virtual reality experience, participants were also less likely to subconsciously stereotype older people. The study, which was published in Frontiers in Psychology, suggests how our brain perceives our body is surprisingly flexible. The researchers hope that the technique can contribute to the technology of education

Digital Artwork of the popular physicist, author and Nobel Prize winner, Albert Einstein.

Science

" Virtual Reality can create the illusion of a virtual body to replace yours, what is called the virtual incarnation "said Mel Slater, professor at the University of Barcelona in Spain. . "In an immersive virtual environment, participants can see this new body reflected in a mirror and it exactly matches their movements, helping to create a powerful illusion that the virtual body is theirs," said Slater.

The embodiment can have striking effects on attitudes and behavior. For example, whites who experienced a virtual black body showed fewer subconscious stereotypes (called implicit biases) of blacks. "We were wondering if the virtual incarnation could affect cognition: if we give someone a recognizable body that represents a supreme intelligence, like that of Albert Einstein, would they do better on a task? cognitive than people with a normal body? Slater said.

The Experiment

To find out, researchers recruited 30 young men to participate in a virtual realization experiment. Prior to the embodiment, participants performed three tests: a cognitive task to reveal their planning and problem solving skills; a task to quantify their self-esteem; and one to identify any implicit bias towards the elderly.

This last task was to determine whether the experience of an older looking simulation could change attitudes towards older people. The study participants then donned a combination of body tracking and a virtual reality helmet . Half experienced a virtual Einstein body and the other half a normal adult body. After completing some exercises in the virtual environment with their new body, they repeated the implicit bias and cognitive tests

The Results

The researchers found that people with low self-esteem performed better the cognitive task after the virtual Einstein experience. , compared to those who have experienced a normal body of someone of their age. Those who were exposed to Einstein's body also had a reduced implicit bias against the elderly.

The Importance

Cognitive Improvements were crucial only in people with low self-esteem. The researchers hypothesized that those with low self-esteem had the most to gain by changing their thinking to themselves.