Through the Looking Glass: The Role of Virtual Mirrors in Shaping Empathy in Virtual Reality Perspective Taking
Name
3626705.3631789.pdf
Size
962.19 KB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
9e93a265fe303ece48dde7158ea9e91b
Author(s)
Yildirim, Caglar
Sengun, Sercan
Akhoroz, Mehmet
Kucuk, Eyup Engin
Harrell, Fox
Date Issued
December 3, 2023
Publisher
ACM|International Conference on Mobile and Ubiquitous Multimedia
Citation
Yildirim, Caglar, Sengun, Sercan, Akhoroz, Mehmet, Kucuk, Eyup Engin and Harrell, Fox. 2023. "Through the Looking Glass: The Role of Virtual Mirrors in Shaping Empathy in Virtual Reality Perspective Taking."
Version
Final published version
Abstract
In this study, we explored the effect of seeing one’s avatar in a virtual mirror during a virtual reality (VR) perspective taking experience. Participants were divided into two groups, with one experiencing the VR environment with the presence of a mirror showcasing their avatar and the other without. Results revealed that the sense of presence was comparable across both groups. However, a notable difference emerged in terms of empathy; participants who viewed their avatars in the mirror exhibited reduced empathic responses. These findings illuminate the nuanced dynamics of self-representation in virtual environments, suggesting that inducing self-awareness through a virtual mirror in VR might have unintended emotional consequences.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory
Terms of Use
Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use.
Persistent DSpace Link
DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1145/3626705.3631789
