Reducing risk and improving maternal perspective-taking and empathy using virtual embodiment.

ABSTRACT: The ability to perspective-take (cognitive awareness of another's state) and empathise (emotional/affective response) are important characteristics for sensitive, co-operative and constructive parenting, which assists in developing adaptive functioning for children. For the first time, immersive virtual reality was used to place parents in the position of a child in order to assess impact on perspective-taking and empathy. This novel study was conducted with 20 non-high risk Spanish mothers (a pilot study with 12 mothers is reported in supplementary files). Mothers were virtually embodied as a 4-year-old child, experienced from the first-person perspective and with virtual and real body movements synchronised. They interacted with a 'mother avatar', which responded either in a Positive or

SUBMITTER: Hamilton-Giachritsis C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5813089 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature