DANIEL LANDAU

Virtual reality (VR) has been called the “ultimate empathy machine,” yet scientific evidence supporting this claim is limited. In our study, we compared the effects of VR versus standard video on empathy. We recorded a 360° 3D video of someone sharing a painful story, which was then shown either in a VR headset or on a computer screen. By measuring both physiological and facial responses, we found that VR increased viewers’ empathic care, facial synchrony, and feelings of social presence. These heightened social presence levels mediated the increase in empathy, suggesting VR’s potential to foster social connectedness, especially in situations where direct interaction isn’t possible.