Exploring the Plight of Victims in Virtual Reality: A Structured Abstract

Amidst worsening ecological crisis that some experts attribute in part to human disconnection from the natural world (Nisbet et al., 2009; Perkins, 2010), zoos, aquariums, and wildlife parks often seek to raise visitors’ awareness and action for wildlife conservation (Patrick et al., 2007). In doing so, these organizations often rely on charismatic fauna, which has been shown to elicit a stronger connection with visitors (Skibins & Powell, 2013). Yet, concerns for animal well-being inspire search for alternative solutions.

Virtual reality (VR) – a technology that transports users into a virtual environment where they navigate and interact - is gaining popularity among conservation-promoting organizations (Cowan et al., 2023). Immersive technology like VR has significant potential to promote charitable giving and conservation education, and can even replace in-person experiences (Hilken et al, 2022). VR is clear in its ability to increase compassion for animal species (Pimentel and Kalyanaraman 2022) and evoke more intense empathy (Bujić et al., 2020), even though people find it difficult to empathize with others less similar to themselves and when considering mass (vs. individual) victims (Goldstein et al., 2008). Further, VR is superior to other media when it comes to increasing donations for charity (Kristofferson et al., 2022). Indeed, many charities (e.g., Oxfam, UNICEF) have increased appeals through VR (Samit, 2017), and these typically require large investments; the average spend for these VR appeals is often more than $100,000 (NonProfit Times, 2016).

However, marketers must ensure that VR content is designed in a way that maximizes desired outcomes (Kostyk & Sheng, 2022; e.g., improved attitudes, increased donations, etc.). This is especially relevant given the cost of developing VR experiences. To that end, it is important to investigate which features of VR content can generate most positive outcomes in terms of consumers’ action. This research explores the interplay between visual proximity and fear to explain why and how VR content might impact donations for wildlife conservation.