VR and Empathy: The Bad, the Good, and the Paradoxical

Abstract

Virtual reality (VR) is cited as offering the ultimate empathy machine [31]. This theory makes sense intuitively since VR enables a user to step in to another’s shoes and experience the world as they do. We define this specific class of mental state as ‘emotional empathy’ [49].The ability of VR to evoke emotional empathy is widely lauded as a good thing [18], [35], [43]. In this paper we invite labels such as ‘Luddites’ and ‘technophobes’ as we question the soundness of such claims. We instead offer warnings regarding employing VR is this manner and urge caution. Rather than dismiss the usefulness of VR in this realm we offer alternative implementation techniques in order to evoke more positive results in users.VR offers much utility for psychologists, psychiatrists, and neu-roscientists due to the ability it affords to alter cognition. While promoting the medium in general, we offer warnings regarding potential short and long term neurological impacts. We encourage increased research focus on the underlying neural mechanisms that underpin VR’s successful multisensory hijack.