Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 29, 2026

Observational Fear as a Model of Affective Empathy in Mice
Published on: November 22, 2024
Context-dependent placebo hypoalgesia through observational learning: the role of empathy in immersive and
Jewel N White1,2,3,4, Lakota Watson4, Yang Wang1,2
1Department of Pain and Translational Symptom Science, University of Maryland School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Abstract:
Digital environments are increasingly used to study social and pain-related behaviors. Empathy and contextual factors influence observationally induced placebo analgesia. We tested whether state empathy (i.e., immediate affective and cognitive responses to another's experience) differs when observing a demonstrator in immersive VR versus 2D video, and whether this modulation affects placebo hypoalgesia. Forty-seven participants observed a human or avatar demonstrator receiving painful stimulation with or without placebo, then experienced the same stimulations. Observation induced significant placebo hypoalgesia for pain intensity and unpleasantness. Human demonstrators evoked greater cognitive empathy, while placebo treatments reduced empathy across contexts. Analgesic effects were stronger in 2D after observing humans, but in VR, avatars induced greater placebo effects. Placebo responsiveness was related to trait empathy in the VR-Human condition; however, state empathy did not mediate the effect. Our findings highlight that demonstrator characteristics and immersion critically shape the social transfer of placebo effects.
Related Concept Videos
Empathy
The Placebo Effect
Observational Learning
Self Within Cultural Contexts
Frequency-dependent Selection
Impact of Social Context on Individuals

