Immersive parasocial Intergroup Contact: 360-degree immersive experience reduces stereotypes and promotes support for LGBTQ + rights

Immersive storytelling has demonstrated an impressive ability to produce empathetic responses that can lead to changes in opinion. However, empathy can also be produced by watching regular 2-dimensional videos, whereas other affordances of immersive storytelling can influence the experience and moderate its consequential effect on users’ attitudes. This study investigated the efficacy of immersive Virtual Reality (VR) technology in reducing stereotypes and leading to attitudinal change towards a stigmatized group through narrative-based parasocial intergroup contact. Specifically, it examined the impact of 360-degree video, as opposed to a flat 2-dimensional video, featuring a religiously identified homosexual man, on support for LGBTQ + rights. Through a novel experimental design, potential mediators of attitude change, including empathy, perspective-taking, and sense of social presence, were examined. The VR experience significantly increased support for gay family rights and altered perceptions about the compatibility of homosexuality with religious identity, with the sense of social presence emerging as a key mediator. This study contributes to existing literature by demonstrating the unique power of VR technology in promoting understanding across social divides and emphasizing the critical role of social presence in enhancing the experience and its effect. It also highlights the important moderating role of individual differences such as religiosity and empathic tendencies. Practical implications and recommendations for content creators are discussed.