Through My Eyes: Integrative Model of Awareness-Raising (IMAR)

Abstract

Thanks to the phenomena of presence and embodiment, immersive virtual reality makes it possible to create situations that influence users’ mental representations. This can deepen understanding of another person’s perspective and foster compassion and motivation for prosocial behavior. In the literature, several studies have shown positive correlations between presence in a virtual environment and empathy. Other studies have shown the influence of prosocial video games on increasing prosocial behavior in the real world. Numerous models have been developed to explain the complex mechanisms of empathy and prosocial behavior. Despite this abundance of research, existing models remain fragmented, each addressing a specific aspect of the complex mechanisms of empathy and prosocial behavior. The literature does not yet provide a comprehensive framework for integrating these mechanisms in the specific context of awareness. Based on the knowledge that has been established, we propose an Integrative Model of Awareness-Raising (IMAR) based on these solid theoretical foundations, not to revalidate them, but to mobilize them in the design and evaluation of awareness-raising tools. We measured the main variables of the IMAR model using standardized questionnaires, and before and after users were exposed to a visual impairment awareness-raising experience in a virtual environment. This enabled us to assess the model’s effectiveness in predicting the effects of an awareness-raising activity. We hypothesized a positive influence of the use of the virtual awareness-raising tool on participants’ cognitive empathy, affective empathy, and prosocial responses. In the experiment carried out, 46 participants were exposed to the immersive visual impairment awareness-raising tool. All were engineering students, aged between 22 and 32. To measure their level of presence and their mental representations of disability, the participants answered a first questionnaire just before the experiment, a second just after the experiment, and a third one a week later. These measures enabled us to study the changes induced by the virtual awareness-raising tool, as well as their maintenance over time. The results show that awareness-raising in the virtual environment led to an increase in prosocial behavior, as well as its maintenance over time. Participants were more willing to give their time to charity after the awareness-raising session than before. This effect is particularly achieved through enhanced cognitive empathy. Based on the model, the results suggest that the awareness-raising tool could be improved in terms of affective empathy, by working on the narrative, for example. The main contribution of this paper is to propose an IMAR process based on the literature, as well as an experiment showing how this model can be used to interpret the impact of an awareness-raising approach and to identify areas for improvement.