Document Type
Article
Publication Date
6-30-2021
Abstract
Perspective-taking, whether through imagination or virtual-reality interventions, seems to improve intergroup relations; however, which intervention leads to better outcomes remains unclear. This preregistered study collected measures of empathy and race bias from 90 participants, split into one of three perspective-taking groups: embodied perspective-taking, mental perspective-taking, and a control group. We drew on virtual-reality technology alongside a Black confederate across all conditions. Only in the first group, participants got to exchange real-time viewpoints with the confederate and literally “see through the eyes of another.” In the two other conditions, participants either imagined a day in the life of the Black confederate or in their own life, respectively. Our findings show that, compared with the control group, the embodied perspective-taking group scored higher on empathy sub-components. On the contrary, both perspective-taking interventions differentially affected neither explicit nor implicit race bias. Our study suggests that embodiment of an outgroup can enhance empathy.
Recommended Citation
Thériault R, Olson JA, Krol SA, Raz A. (2021). Body swapping with a Black person boosts empathy: Using virtual reality to embody another. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1177/17470218211024826
Copyright
Experimental Psychology Society
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Included in
Experimental Analysis of Behavior Commons, Multicultural Psychology Commons, Other Psychology Commons, Race and Ethnicity Commons, Social Psychology Commons
Comments
This article was originally published in Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology in 2021. https://doi.org/10.1177/17470218211024826