2025-07-02 –, Theil C1-2 (60p)
This study examined how VR perspective-taking as animals promotes pro-environmental behaviors. Participants (N=69) experienced life as a deer facing environmental challenges through either VR (N=35) or video-watching (N=34). We measured multi-modal self-reported attitudes, biofeedback, and donation behaviors. Results showed that sense of presence mediated the relationship between stimulus type and donation behavior, suggesting VR's immersive qualities enhance environmental behavior through embodied animal experiences.
Despite extensive efforts to promote pro-environmental behaviors, behavioral 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 individuals 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 behavioral changes. Participants adopted a deer's perspective, experiencing its daily life through wandering, foraging, and social interactions while witnessing environmental challenges including forest fires and human rescue efforts.
Our experiment (N=69) used a between-subjects design comparing first-person VR perspective-taking with traditional video-watching. We measured self-reported animal attitudes and ecological behaviors pre-intervention and one week post-intervention. During the experiment, we recorded heart rate and behavioral data, along with immediate post-intervention measures of empathy and sense of presence. Following the session, participants received €5.00 (ten 50-cent coins) as compensation and could donate any portion to local or global environmental protection organizations, with donation behavior recorded as a key outcome measure.
Results showed that both VR and video groups reported increased environmental behavior one week later, indicating lasting influence (p < .001). However, donation behavior was significantly influenced by sense of presence (p < .001), which was significantly higher in the VR group (p < .001). Mediation analysis revealed that sense of presence significantly mediates 70% of the total effect (p <.05), suggesting VR's immersive qualities enhance environmental behavior through embodied animal experiences. Additionally, role adoption and empathy were influenced by pro-environmental attitudes (p < .05), while inclusion level was affected by both stimulus condition and role adoption (p < .01).
These preliminary findings suggest that while both stimuli produced pro-environmental changes, immersive ecological perspective-taking more effectively promotes pro-environmental behavioral outcomes, particularly for immediate effects like charitable giving.
PhD candidate in Faculty of Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences (BMS), University of Twente.