A recent MIT study enlisted 38 police officers to take part in an VR scenario in which they are alongside another officer who is racially abusive towards an African American suspect. Officers were then divided into two different groups in order to witness the same interrogation again.
One group witnessed the interaction as an observer while the other embodied the perspective of the suspect. Three weeks later, all officers were again placed in a hostile interrogation of an African American suspect in a different setting.
“The results show that the actions of those who had been in the Victim condition were coded as being more helpful towards the victim than those in the Observer condition.”
Virtual embodiment is a real and powerful phenomenon in VR that can be used to increase empathy, inspire openness, change perspectives, and boost confidence (see previous blog post about the new avatar-based singing competition on Fox).
Foretell Reality allows for virtual embodiment through customizable avatars that can engage in role play scenarios from any perspective. Observers can view scenarios as a non-participant in VR or from a desktop. Interested in a demo? Click here.
