Combatting ageism through virtual embodiment? Using explicit and implicit measures

Abstract

Objectives: Ageism is defined as stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination towards people because of their age. Although ageism can be directed towards people of any age group, most research has focused on ageism towards older people. Ageism towards older people is known to have a significant impact on their health and wellbeing and to even result in higher healthcare costs. The present study evaluated the use of virtual embodiment (VE) to reduce self- and other-directed ageism. Design, setting, and participants: We randomized 80 individuals between the ages of 18 and 35 years to one of two conditions: VE as an older or a younger avatar. Results: No differences were found on explicit measures of ageism. Once multiple comparisons were accounted for, a nonsignificant reduction in implicit age bias following exposure to the older avatar (Cohen’s d = .75, p = .02) also was found. Conclusions: Past research has established the effectiveness of VE in relation to implicit measures. However, once both explicit and implicit measures are included and multiple comparisons are accounted for, neither explicit nor implicit measures of ageism show a significant effect. Given the multidimensional nature of ageism, further research is needed to establish the effectiveness of VE once multiple measures of ageism are considered.

Mitigating Ageism through Virtual Reality: Intergenerational Collaborative Escape Room Design

“…Our research reveals that intergenerational collaboration has a positive effect on both explicit and implicit ageism reduction. These findings suggest that intergenerational collaborative games may be a successful intervention to reduce ageism, complementing existing methods such as perspective taking [30] and virtual embodiment [2,5].…”

“…While a limited number of previous studies have explored how ageism can be mitigated through virtual embodiment [2,5] or perspective-taking [30], there is still a gap between examining the effectiveness of intergenerational collaborative interventions in reducing ageism within VR environments. To address the gap, our research endeavors to harness VR to develop an intergenerational collaborative game specifically designed to combat ageism.…”

Innovative approaches to improving mental health and well-being in older people

“…Ayalon and colleagues have researched various aspects of ageism, including a review of the psychometric properties of various ageism scales (Ayalon et al, 2019), which have advanced the field. In this issue, Ayalon et al (2023) report on an innovative methodology, the use of virtual embodiment (VE), to reduce self-and other-directed ageism. Virtual embodiment involves visually substituting a person's real body in a virtual reality (VR) environment with a virtual one (an avatar), seen from the person's own first-person perspective.…”

Silver tsunamis, gray ceilings, and ‘the problem of older adults’

“…The virtual embodiment procedure instructed participants to look in the mirror to view themselves as an older or younger avatar, to look closely at his/her face, move different body parts, and move different objects around the room (Ayalon et al, 2022). The avatar's sex was congruent with that of the participant.…”