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OpenTrials
Enrolling by Invitation

NCT Number: NCT07314788

Empathy and Virtual Reality (VR)

This study will characterize the subjective and physiological changes associated with empathy following a fear-inducing virtual reality (VR) experience.

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Key information

Conditions

Virtual Reality Fear

Age range

18 year–25 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University of Miami

Coral Gables, Florida, 33146, United States

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • College-aged adults (18-25 years old)
  • English-speaking
  • Normal or corrected vision.
  • Able to provide consent.

Exclusion criteria

  • Presence of a significant and/or unstable medical illness (e.g., cardiovascular disease, cancer, neurological disorder) or head trauma (e.g., concussion).

Additional exclusion criteria apply to virtual reality (VR):

  • VR contraindications: epilepsy, migraines, flu, sleep deprivation, etc.
  • More than minimal VR experience assessed via self-report (e.g., How often have you used virtual reality in the past? 0=never, 6=very frequently)
  • Extreme phobia of heights and/or spiders will be assessed using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5) specific phobia subscale.

Treatment and study plan

Fear-inducing Virtual Reality (VR) experience

Behavioral

Participants will complete a single virtual reality (VR) exposure involving a fear-inducing scenario (e.g., walking a plank above a high-rise building or canyon).

Neutral Virtual Reality (VR) experience

Behavioral

Participants will complete a single virtual reality (VR) exposure involving a fear-inducing scenario (e.g., walking to the edge of a curb at street level).

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in self-reported empathy scores

    Time frame: Baseline (prior to VR experience) and approximately 5 minutes post-VR experience.

    Participant will view videos of other individuals undergoing a fear-inducing virtual reality (VR) experience and will self-report level of empathy on a scale 0=not at all to 10=extremely. Average empathy ratings will be compared pre-VR and post-VR.

  2. Change in heart rate

    Time frame: Baseline (prior to VR experience) and approximately 5 minutes post-VR experience.

    Average heart rate (beats/minute) will be collected while watching videos of other individuals undergoing a fear-inducing virtual reality (VR) experience and will be compared pre-VR and post-VR.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change in the correlation between self-reported anxiety scores of self and another

    Time frame: Baseline (prior to VR experience) and approximately 5 minutes post-VR experience.

    Participant will view videos of other individuals undergoing a fear-inducing virtual reality (VR) experience and will self-report level of anxiety on self and other on a scale 0=not at all, 10=extremely. Anxiety ratings of self and another will be correlated and compared pre-VR and post-VR. Greater correlation will reflect greater alignment of anxiety.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Miami

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2027
Study completion
2027
First posted
Jan 2, 2026
Registry last updated
Apr 16, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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