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A virtual reality experience developed by Stanford, called "Becoming Homeless," helps broaden the research on how this new immersive technology affects people's level of empathy.
Fernanda Herrera, left, observes colleague Hannah Mieczkowski navigate through the virtual reality experience that begins with a notice of expulsion. (Image credit: L.A. Cicero)
According to a new Stanford study, people who saw virtual reality, also known as virtual reality, as losing their jobs and homes, developed a lasting sense of compassion for the homeless. compared to those who have explored other versions of the virtual reality scenario, such as text. These results should be published on October 17 in PLOS ONE.
"Experiments are what defines us as humans, so it's not surprising that an intense experience in virtual reality has more impact than imagining something." "said Jeremy Bailenson, professor of communication and co-author of the article.
Emerging research, emerging technology
Many virtual reality enthusiasts view immersive technology as "the ultimate empathy machine" that can help people better understand themselves than novels, TV shows or movies.
However, little research has shown how this emerging technology can change people's attitudes.
"About 10 million headsets have been sold in the United States in the last two years. So, many people now have access to virtual reality experiences. But we still do not know much about the effects of VR on people, "said Fernanda Herrera, graduate student in the Department of Communication and lead author of the research paper. "This research is an important step in determining the tremendous impact this technology can have on people's level of empathy over the long term."
"Empathy is not just a trait. It's something you can work on and increase or decrease in different situations. "
-Jamil Zaki
Assistant Professor of Psychology
Previous research on virtual reality and empathy has shown mixed results and used small samples composed mostly of university students, Herrera said. In addition, previous studies have not examined the long-term effect of VR on empathy beyond one week.
As part of the research, Herrera, in collaboration with Jamil Zaki, a psychology scholar at Stanford, and psychology graduate Erika Weisz, a psychology graduate, conducted two two-month studies with more than 560 participants aged 15 to 88 and representing at least eight ethnic groups. Researcher Elise Ogle was also co-author of the paper.
During the course of the research, some participants learned to "become homeless," a 7-minute virtual reality experience developed by Stanford's Virtual Human Interaction Lab.
In "Becoming Homeless," a narrator guides participants through several interactive virtual reality scenarios that would occur if they lost their jobs. In a scene, the participant must look around an apartment to select the objects for sale in order to pay the rent. In another scene, the participant finds refuge in a public bus and must protect his property against theft by a stranger.
Go to the website to see the video.
The researchers found that participants "becoming homeless" were more likely to have lasting positive attitudes toward the homeless than people performing other tasks, such as reading a story or interaction with a two-dimensional version of the scenario on a desktop computer. The same people are also more likely to sign a petition for affordable housing, according to the study.
"Taking the perspective of others in virtual reality produces more empathy and prosocial behavior in people immediately after the experience and over time compared to the imagination of what it would be to find yourself in someone else's place, "said Herrera. "And it's an exciting discovery."
Measure empathy over time
Empathy, the ability to share and understand each other's emotions, is an essential part of meaningful social interactions, according to the specialists. It has been shown to allow people to better understand each other and to create positive social behaviors, such as donating, volunteering or cooperating with others.
"We tend to think that empathy is something you have or do not have," said Zaki, an assistant professor of psychology and co-author of the journal. "But many studies have shown that empathy is not just a trait. It's something you can work on and increase or decrease in different situations. "
The results of the studies showed that participants "becoming homeless" were much more likely to agree with statements such as "Our society is not doing enough to help the homeless". They were also more likely to say they cared "about the plight of the homeless. Research has also shown that their empathic attitudes towards the homeless have continued.
In addition, according to the first study, 82% of virtual reality participants signed a petition for affordable housing, compared with 67% of those who read a story that asked them to imagine becoming homeless.
In the second study, 85% of people in virtual reality signed the petition, compared to 63% who read the story. Among the participants who experienced the two-dimensional version of the virtual reality experience, 66% signed the petition.
"What's special about this research is that it provides us with longitudinal evidence that virtual reality is changing people's attitudes and behaviors in a positive way," Bailenson said.
More research coming soon
All of the empathy exercises that introduce perspectives from different groups do not produce positive effects, the researchers said. For example, previous research has shown that when people are asked to take the point of view of their competitors, they become less empathetic towards them.
Likewise, the format of a virtual reality experience also matters when considering changing people's attitudes, Herrera said.
Herrera, Bailenson and other researchers are working on other studies to understand the nuances of the effects of virtual reality on people.
But for now, Herrera and his team are excited about the evidence gathered in their new study.
"Well after the end of our studies, some of the research participants sent me an e-mail explaining to them how they started to get more involved in the subject. One of them has a friendship with a homeless person in their community and wrote me again once that person found a house, "he said. said Herrera. "It was really inspiring to see this positive and lasting impact."
The research was funded by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
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