Stanford VR Study Shows Tech Can Bridge Climate Change Empathy Gap
A new Stanford University study demonstrates how virtual reality can transform abstract climate threats into personally relevant concerns. Researchers found VR experiences significantly increased emotional attachment to distant locations facing environmental damage, suggesting new approaches for climate communication that work across political lines.
The Empathy Gap in Climate Communication
For years, climate communicators have struggled with what psychologists call the “psychological distance” problem—the tendency for people to perceive climate change as something happening elsewhere to others, making it difficult to motivate action. Now, researchers at Stanford University may have found a surprisingly simple solution using technology that’s increasingly accessible to consumers.