Publish at June 09 2019 Updated April 26 2023
In a world of communication, exchanges have never been so tense. Especially on social networks, everyone is closing in on their positions and empathy seems to have disappeared. The portrait seems to be a depressing one, but actual experiences tend to show that technology improves the empathic capacity of the public. This is realized in the form of virtual reality (VR).
In fact, researchers are trying to see if this immersion that this technology offers can actually raise awareness of a given situation. Scientists at Standford University in the U.S., for example, have been studying the sensitivity of individuals to a situation such as homelessness. The idea was to have two groups experience the same story but with a different focus. Thus, one group read the story of a man who lost his job and ended up being homeless. Another group experienced it with a VR module created by the research team. The results showed that after the first study, 82% of people who used virtual reality had more empathy for the homeless versus 67 % and in a second, it was 85 % versus 63 %.
What can explain this disparity? Let's go back to the definition of empathy: being able to cognitively put oneself in the other person's shoes, to understand how they feel.While some people have this almost innate ability, many are unable to apply it to their lives. In psychology, one of the tricks used is perspective shifting where the patient has to put themselves in the other person's shoes and write down their perception of a situation. With virtual reality, the days of paper and pencil are over. It is possible to immerse yourself in the commands of an avatar. And for some, this solution could lead to the development of empathy in many areas.
.For example, in 2019, workshops were implemented in some Qué high schools to address the issue of bullying. Bullying can expact acts of intimidation, isolation, and sadness experienced by victims. In this college, students were able to understand the reality of migrants fleeing Syria. In this case, it was mostly 360-degree videos, but this more immersive viewing seems, according to the teachers, to have had its effect on the learners, who said they had a better grasp of this reality.
In addition, in some events, organizations have realized the value of using the virtual to share the reality of minority communities. For example, during Black History Month, the Phi Center showed short films in virtual reality, including one on the Nelson Mandela trial. A nice way to show the apartheid under which South Africa lived in the 1960s.
From its side, the Los Angeles Police Department wanted to improve its relationship with people in the Latino and African American community. Virtual reality has helped to improve police empathy with these populations. To the point where the person in charge of the initiative is working on a new module to perfect the link between police officers and women. She believes that this kind of device in many places in the world would reduce tensions. For example, she said, Israeli and Palestinian forces would benefit from such a module. Perhaps it could resemble this one in augmented reality that showed the views of two conflicting sides without judgment.
The question, however, is whether empathy remains temporarily or permanently in those experiencing virtual reality. And for the moment, the only study on this subject is that of Standford. While the results are encouraging, VR is not a panacea either. One research study showed that when the threat experienced virtually was more personal, individuals did not show more empathy for those experiencing the same thing.
The phenomenon has yet to be studied in larger samples and also over time. Nevertheless, it could be a major awareness tool in the coming years. For artists, it could prove to be a fantastic way to transport the audience and have them experience immersive works.
Illustration : rawpixel - Pixabay
References
Bertaux, Mylène. LAPD Tries To Solve Its Racism Problems With Virtual R&E.DNA. Last updated: June 25, 2018.
https://www.ladn.eu/media-mutants/la-police-de-l-a-tente-de-resoudre-ses-problemes-de-racisme-avec-la-realite-virtuelle/
Bouchard, Catherine. "Isolation And Bullying : Virtual Ré To Foam Empathy." Le Journal De Québec. Last updated: December 4, 2018.
https://www.journaldequebec.com/2018/12/04/isolement-et-intimidation-mousser-lempathie-par-la-realite-virtuelle
"Confronting Enemy Fighters In Ré Increased." Thot Cursus. Last update: November 6, 2017.
https://cursus.edu/14955/confronter-des-combattants-ennemis-en-realite-augmentee
Gacogne, Théophile. Virtual Ré Effective In Creating Empathy.Counterpoints. Last updated: October 27, 2018.
https://www.contrepoints.org/2018/10/28/328912-la-realite-virtuelle-efficace-pour-creer-de-lempathie
Johnson, Maxime. "Black History Month In Virtual R&E." Journal Métro. Last updated: February 21, 2019.
https://journalmetro.com/plus/techno/2178495/le-mois-de-lhistoire-des-noirs-en-realite-virtuelle/
Mina, Johnathan, and Pascale Warmoes. Virtual R&E To Develop Empathy In The R&E World.Profweb. Last updated: November 29, 2018.
https://www.profweb.ca/publications/recits/la-realite-virtuelle-pour-developper-l-empathie-dans-le-monde-reel
"Réalité Virtual : Have we Inventedé The « machine à Empathy » ?" Usbek & Rica. Last update: April 15, 2019.
https://usbeketrica.com/article/realite-virtuelle-avons-nous-invente-la-machine-a-empathie
Sussan, Rémi. "Réalit;Virtual And Empathy : What The Research Says." InternetActu.net. Last updated: November 13, 2018.
http://www.internetactu.net/2018/11/13/realite-virtuelle-et-empathie-ce-que-dit-la-recherche/
Zaffagni, Marc. "Virtual Ré Can Make Us More Empathetic." Futura. Last updated: October 18, 2018.
https://www.futura-sciences.com/tech/actualites/technologie-realite-virtuelle-peut-nous-rendre-plus-empathiques-73241/
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