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A method for generating an illusion of backwards time travel using immersive virtual reality-an exploratory study
Doron Friedman1, Rodrigo Pizarro2, Keren Or-Berkers1
1Sammy Offer School of Communication, The Interdisciplinary Center IDC Herzliya Herzliya, Israel.
Frontiers in Psychology
|September 18, 2014
Summary
Immersive virtual reality (IVR) enabled participants to time travel and alter past events. This experience increased guilt and support for utilitarian solutions, while reducing personal regret.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Virtual Reality Research
- Moral Decision-Making
Background:
- Moral dilemmas often involve difficult choices with tragic outcomes.
- Investigating the psychological impact of altering past events is crucial for understanding decision-making.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the psychological effects of experiencing time travel through immersive virtual reality (IVR).
- To determine if altering past moral dilemmas impacts guilt, decision-making, and personal regret.
Main Methods:
- An exploratory study comparing an IVR 'Time Travel' condition with a 'Repetition' control group.
- Participants relived a moral dilemma involving saving 1 or 5 lives multiple times.
Main Results:
- The 'Time Travel' group experienced an illusion of time travel, presence, body ownership, and agency.
- Time travel increased guilt, support for utilitarianism, and implicit morality.
- The illusion reduced regret associated with personal past decisions.
Conclusions:
- IVR can effectively simulate time travel, influencing moral judgment and emotional responses.
- Experiencing agency in altering past events can lead to reduced personal regret.
- Participants may opt for ineffective alternative actions when presented with a third choice in moral dilemmas.
