Designing VRPT experience for empathy toward out-groups using critical incidents and cultural explanations

First person perspective taking presented in head-mounted displays make it a perfect interface to experience empathy toward other people. Since some intercultural misunderstandings stem from ethnocentrism, it is worth considering the possibilities given by the VR experiences to explain behaviors toward out-groups and induce empathetic actions. In this paper we present the design process of ethnoVR, a 7-minutes 360-degree film, which allows taking the perspective of two students - a Chinese and a Pole - who face a problem in efficient communication. The scenario was created with the usage of critical incident technique, adopting user-centered design paradigm.