Sara Ventura

By Sara Ventura, Rosa M. Baños and Cristina Botella

In the last decades, the applied approach for the use of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) on clinical and health psychology has grown exponentially. These technologies have been used to treat several mental disorders, for example, phobias, stress-related disorders, depression, eating disorders, and chronic pain. The importance of VR/AR for the mental health field comes from three main concepts: (1) VR/AR as an imaginal technology, people can feel “as if they are” in a reality that does not exist in external world; (2) VR/AR as an embodied technology, the experience to feel user’s body inside the virtual environment; and (3) VR/AR as connectivity technology, the “end of geography’. In this chapter, we explore the opportunities provided by VR/AR as technologies to improve people’s quality of life and to discuss new frontiers for their application in mental health and psychological well-being promotion.

Part of the book: State of the Art Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Knowhow

By Sara Ventura and Alison Jane Martingano

Virtual reality (VR) has been described as the ultimate empathy machine; but does it deserve this reputation? Thanks to its features of embodied technology, VR can let users virtually walk in someone else’s shoes. In addition, multi-sensory VR experiences can present evocative and heart-wrenching stimuli. For these reasons, VR seems to be a likely candidate to foster empathy. However, the published literature indicates that the impact of VR on empathy is complex and depends both on the type of VR and also the type of empathy being evaluated. The present chapter compares two meta-analyses which suggest that VR can elicit empathy, but the theoretical factors on which the technology has more efficacies are in contrast. In this chapter, these discordant meta-analyses are discussed, and the reasons why they find different results are theorized. We attempt to answer when and how VR could be an empathy machine. We conclude that low-tech but evocative storytelling is most likely to yield emotional empathy, and embodied experiences that encourage perspective-taking will improve cognitive empathy. Although we attempt to present the latest empirical evidence about empathy and VR, we are aware that the scientific consensus around this topic is likely to evolve in the future.

Part of the book: Empathy

By Sara Ventura

The World Health Organization has identified the job situation as one of the main contributors to mental disorders. The healthcare sector is particularly affected, given the profound relationships among doctors, patients, and caregivers that extend beyond clinical practice, encompassing the psychological and emotional spheres. This distress becomes even more crucial when doctors engage with patients—and their caregivers—facing terminal illnesses such as cancer. In this context, the use of empathic skills is imperative. Empathy training is gaining prominence in medical education, as the empathic attitude of doctors has been shown to enhance patient satisfaction and treatment adherence. Despite existing training programs relying on imagination and role play, which have demonstrated some limitations, Virtual Reality is emerging as a promising tool for empathy training. This chapter aims to outline the current state of vulnerability factors affecting the healthcare sector and how they impact communication with patients. Furthermore, it intends to present the potential of Virtual Reality as a valuable tool in the education curricula for physician students to cultivate empathetic and compassionate skills.

Part of the book: Through Your Eyes - Research and New Perspectives on Empathy [Working title]