Virtual reality fear trip may boost empathy, study hints
NCT ID NCT07314788
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study looks at whether a fear-inducing virtual reality (VR) experience can change how much empathy people feel. About 110 young adults (ages 18-25) will either experience a scary VR scenario, like walking a plank high above a city, or a neutral one. Researchers will measure changes in self-reported empathy and heart rate before and after the VR experience.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Fear-inducing virtual reality (VR) experience
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this study could help us understand how virtual reality experiences influence empathy, potentially guiding future uses of VR in empathy training or therapy.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study with only 110 participants, so results may not apply to the general population. It measures short-term changes, not long-term effects.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 110 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Apr 2026
- Expected to finish
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May 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 25 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * College-aged adults (18-25 years old) * English-speaking * Normal or corrected vision. * Able to provide consent. Exclusion Criteria: • Presence of a significant and/or unstable medical illness (e.g., cardiovascular disease, cancer, neurological disorder) or head trauma (e.g., concussion). Additional exclusion criteria apply to virtual reality (VR): * VR contraindications: epilepsy, migraines, flu, sleep deprivation, etc. * More than minimal VR experience assessed via self-report (e.g., How often have you used virtual reality in the past? 0=never, 6=very frequently) * Extreme phobia of heights and/or spiders will be assessed using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5) specific phobia subscale.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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University of Miami
Coral Gables, Florida, 33146, United States
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