Virtual Embodiment and Embodied Cognition
Fernanda Herrera · 2020
Taking the perspective of others through the use of virtual reality (VR) technology increases empathy and reduces prejudice toward a myriad of social targets. The positive effects of VR perspective taking seem to be attributable to virtual embodiment and embodied cognition. For most of human history, we perceived our surroundings and functioned based on what our physical bodies were able to sense and do. Later, with the establishment of written language and symbols, we were able to expand our surroundings and learn regardless of whether or not physical bodies were present. Most of these VR systems work by replacing the perceptual input of the real world with perceptual input from the virtual environment in real time. This replacement is accomplished by: blocking out visual, auditory, and haptic feedback from the physical world; the continuous tracking of the user’s head and body movements; and the immediate rendering of virtual body and virtual environment in response to the user’s movements and behaviors.