Immersive Media & Virtual Reality

Our lab utilizes Virtual Reality (VR) technology to investigate the intersection of human morality, social cognition, and media effects. By leveraging the unique affordances of immersive environments, such as presence and embodiment, we explore how digital experiences can shape real-world moral judgments and prosocial behaviors.

Investigating Moral Agency in Virtual Environments

A primary focus of our immersive research involves placing participants in morally complex narratives where their actions have simulated consequences. Unlike traditional screen-based media, VR allows us to study "moral agency" in a way that closely mimics real-life decision-making.

Our work in this area examines how high levels of immersion and "spatial presence" can either heighten or dampen moral sensitivity. For instance, we investigate how the psychological feeling of "being there" influences the emotional weight of moral violations within a digital narrative. For example, recent work by Lee et al. (2026) found that people exposed to immersive threatening scenarios responded with more selfish decisions in a tragedy of the commons-style dilemma.

Perspective-Taking and Prosocial Outcomes

We are particularly interested in the potential for VR to foster altruism and empathy through perspective-taking. By allowing users to experience the world through different vantage points, we study whether these immersive experiences can reduce intergroup bias or increase willingness to engage in altruistic behavior.