2025-07-02 –, Theil C1-2 (60p)
This study tested animal VR perspective-taking to promote pro-environmental behaviors. Participants experienced life as a deer facing environmental challenges. Our pilot (N=8) compared VR to narrative reading, measuring attitudes, behaviors, and donations. VR participants showed higher presence levels and increased donations to environmental protection.
Despite extensive efforts to promote pro-environmental behaviors, adoption remains challenged by knowledge gaps and insufficient emotional engagement. Visual perspective-taking in immersive contexts offers a promising solution by reducing psychological distance between self and environmental situations, potentially bridging understanding and action.↳
This study explores how animal perspective-taking experiences in Virtual Reality (VR) influence pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors. Participants assumed a deer's perspective, experiencing its daily life (wandering, foraging, social interactions) while witnessing environmental challenges including forest fires and human rescue efforts.
Our pilot study (N=8) used a between-subjects design comparing first-person VR perspective-taking with traditional narrative reading. Measurements included animal attitude and ecological behavior (pre- and one-week post-intervention), along with ingroup presence and donation behavior (immediate post-intervention).↳
Results showed higher presence levels in VR participants compared to controls. All participants correctly identified their perspective-taking object as a deer and recalled their intervention experiences. While both conditions showed minimal changes in animal attitude and ecological behaviors, the VR condition enhanced altruistic behavior, demonstrated through higher willingness and allocation of compensation toward environmental protection institutions.↳
These preliminary findings suggest immersive ecological perspective-taking may effectively promote pro-environmental behavioral outcomes. Our ongoing research will systematically examine how perspective-taking and immersive experiences enhance embodiment and empathy, and how these interventions ultimately drive positive sustainable attitude and behavior change.
