The Power of Embodiment for Building Empathy
Virtual Reality (VR) has emerged as a powerful tool for training, particularly in professions requiring high levels of empathy. One of VR's key advantages is its ability to create immersive simulations that allow learners to experience the world from another person’s perspective. For instance, in healthcare VR the ability of practitioners to ‘step into the shoes’ of their patients enables them to develop greater empathy and consequently provide more personalised and compassionate care.
What is Embodiment in Virtual Reality?
Mel Slater, Professor of Virtual Reality at the University of Barcelona, has highlighted that “most people think of VR as being about being somewhere different, but it can also be about being someone different” (Slater, 2020). Embodiment in VR refers to the sensation of "being" in a virtual body and experiencing the world through its perspective. Unlike traditional methods such as observing consultations or watching videos, VR immerses learners in simulations that can replicate a patient's lived experience. This immersion fosters both sensory and cognitive engagement which can create profound and transformative experiences.
The Neuroscience Behind Virtual Embodiment
The concept of embodiment in VR is grounded in research showing how the brain integrates sensory inputs to construct a sense of self. By synchronising visual and auditory cues, VR enables the brain to accept a virtual body as its own (Kilteni et al., 2012). First-person perspective VR simulations can evoke a strong sense of body ownership, with measurable changes visible on functional MRI.
For example, de Borst et al (2020) found that participants embodying a woman experiencing verbal abuse exhibited synchronised brain activity in regions associated with bodily self-awareness (fronto-parietal network), emotional processing (insular cortex), threat perception (amygdala) and sensory-motor integration (premotor and somatosensory cortices). These findings demonstrate how VR influences emotional responses and bodily self-awareness. Similarly, research by Seinfeld et al (2018) shows that VR activates brain networks related to self-representation and emotional identification, underscoring how embodiment can enhance empathy and deepen understanding of others’ experiences.
Enhancing Empathy in Healthcare
Traditional clinical education often prioritises technical and scientific aspects of care, while the patient's perspective can be often overlooked. Research indicates that medical students trained to understand the patient's viewpoint establish better empathy and communication leading to higher patient satisfaction (Hojat et al., 2002).
Empathy is crucial for effective care as it enables healthcare practitioners to connect with patients in a compassionate, person-centred manner, and embodiment in VR deepens empathy by immersing learners in the physical, emotional and social challenges patients face. This experience also enhances overall emotional intelligence, particularly the ability to recognise, understand and respond to the emotions of others. By stepping into a patient’s shoes, learners better appreciate how their actions and words can influence a patient’s well-being for better or worse.
Leveraging Embodiment for Healthcare Training at Revolve Labs
At Revolve Labs, we harness the power of Virtual Reality to create training modules that equip healthcare staff with the skills and empathy needed to provide excellent patient care. For example, in our module on chronic pain, learners experience the frustration, fatigue and isolation associated with persistent pain, while in our dementia module participants are immersed in scenarios that replicates the confusion, anxiety and emotional distress of cognitive decline. The use of 360-degree 8K video and high-fidelity audio creates a deep sense of immersion, such that learners experience interactions with family members, doctors and nurses, as well as the patient’s own internal thoughts, as if they themselves were the patient.
Summary - embodiment in VR
Harnessing the uniquely immersive nature of VR, healthcare professionals can now feel what it’s like to receive care through the eyes of a patient. Flipping training on its head and coming at it from an alternative perspective has opened up learning experiences that foster empathy and deeper understanding. By incorporating embodiment into VR scenarios at Revolve Labs, we’re delivering training that enhances patient care and supports better healthcare outcomes.
References
de Borst, A.W., Sanchez-Vives, M.V., Slater, M., & de Gelder, B. (2020). First-Person Virtual Embodiment Modulates the Cortical Network that Encodes the Bodily Self and Its Surrounding Space during the Experience of Domestic Violence. eNeuro, 7(3).
Hojat, M., Louis, D. Z., Markham, F. W., Wender, R., & Gonnella, J. S. (2002). Empathy in medical students and its relationship to clinical competence. Journal of Medical Education, 77(6), 429-435.
Kilteni, K., Groten, R., & Slater, M. (2012). The Sense of Embodiment in Virtual Reality. Frontiers in Robotics and AI, 1, 9.
Seinfeld, S., Slater, M., Sanchez-Vives, M.V., et al. (2018). Offenders Become the Victim in Virtual Reality: Impact of Changing Perspective in Domestic Violence. Scientific Reports, 8(1), 2692.
Slater, M. (2020). Transforming the Self Through Virtual Reality. Front Virtual Reality Online Seminar Series.