Conservatives who watched a documentary about Syrian refugees using a virtual reality (VR) headset showed much more sympathy towards the people portrayed in the film compared to those who watched it on a regular computer screen.
This increased sympathy among conservative viewers of the VR version of “Clouds over Sidra” translated into a greater willingness to donate to help with the crisis.
On the other hand, liberal participants in the study reported already high levels of sympathy and a willingness to donate after watching both the VR and computer screen versions of the documentary.
The analysis, led by Washington State University, suggests that VR technology, by providing a unique and immersive experience, could help bridge ideological divides and influence audiences to feel more sympathetic and generous towards refugees. These findings could be significant for organizations seeking to mobilize support to address humanitarian crises.
“We wanted to see if people’s political views would play a role in how they responded emotionally to VR as this has not been heavily studied,” the researchers explain. “We found that irrespective of political ideology, people in the VR condition felt more sympathy towards refugees and were more inclined toward donating.”
Shifting empathy
The researchers aimed to explore how VR technology affects empathy and sympathy towards refugees among a politically diverse group, as well as its impact on willingness to donate to relief organizations.
Over 200 college-aged individuals took part in two experiments conducted in fall 2019 and fall 2021. Participants disclosed their political affiliations and were split into groups to watch “Clouds Over Sidra,” a United Nations documentary depicting the life of a 12-year-old Syrian girl in a Jordanian refugee camp, either in VR or on a regular screen. Before and after viewing, participants were surveyed on their levels of empathy, sympathy, and intention to donate to humanitarian aid organizations.
Overall, VR was found to amplify both sympathy and empathy towards refugee plight, though its effects varied based on political ideology. Conservatives showed significantly greater increases in sympathy when experiencing the VR content compared to traditional video format, leading to a heightened willingness to donate. Conversely, liberals, already empathetic towards refugees, maintained their sympathy levels across both formats and expressed willingness to donate in both cases.
While the study focused on a single crisis and had a limited sample of college-aged participants, it underscores VR’s potential to shape political attitudes and engagement with humanitarian issues, offering valuable insights for both theory and practical applications.
“Understanding how political ideology can interact with the VR experience is crucial and shows that emerging technologies might be able to interact with predispositions such as ideology,” the authors conclude. “I think this work may have practical applications for NGOs and other organizations striving to find innovative ways to engage the public about refugee crises and other humanitarian disasters.”
