Empathy and Virtual Reality (VR)

Empathy and Virtual Reality (VR)

This study will characterize the subjective and physiological changes associated with empathy following a fear-inducing virtual reality (VR) experience.

Inclusion Criteria:

• College-aged adults (18-25 years old)
• English-speaking
• Normal or corrected vision.
• Able to provide consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Presence of a significant and/or unstable medical illness (e.g., cardiovascular disease, cancer, neurological disorder) or head trauma (e.g., concussion).

Additional exclusion criteria apply to virtual reality (VR):

• VR contraindications: epilepsy, migraines, flu, sleep deprivation, etc.
• More than minimal VR experience assessed via self-report (e.g., How often have you used virtual reality in the past? 0=never, 6=very frequently)
• Extreme phobia of heights and/or spiders will be assessed using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5) specific phobia subscale.