Looking Back From the Future: Perspective Taking in Virtual Reality Increases Future Self-Continuity.

ABSTRACT: In the current study, we tested a novel perspective-taking exercise aimed at increasing the connection participants felt toward their future self, i.e., future self-continuity. Participants role-played as their successful future self and answered questions about what it feels like to become their future and the path to get there. The exercise was also conducted in a virtual reality environment and in vivo to investigate the possible added value of the virtual environment with respect to improved focus, perspective-taking, and effectiveness for participants with less imagination. Results show that the perspective taking exercise in virtual reality substantially increased all four domains of future self-continuity, i.e., connectedness, similarity, vividness, and liking, while the i

SUBMITTER: Ganschow B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8219936 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature