📣 Back with the third post featuring one of the NIAA projects sponsored by the Network Institute.

🔍 Today’s spotlight is on “Visualizing the Future – The Role of Virtual Reality in Promoting Environmental Sustainability”, led by Jagoda Hanuszewicz and Zixuan Wang, under the supervision of Charlotte Gerritsen and Sanchayan Banerjee.

This groundbreaking project investigates the potential of virtual reality (VR) as a tool for fostering meaningful and lasting environmental behavior change. Immersive technologies can elicit strong emotional responses and enhance engagement, making them promising tools for raising awareness about pressing global issues like climate change. However, their effectiveness in driving sustained behavioral change remains uncertain.

💡 To address this, the study employs a rigorous randomized control trial to compare different digital interventions: a 2D computer-based environment, an immersive 3D VR experience, a placebo VR scenario unrelated to the environment, and a control text-based condition. By analyzing participants’ choices across these conditions, the research will assess both the direct impact of VR on environmental decision-making and potential spillover effects—whether adopting one sustainable behavior (e.g., reducing meat consumption) leads to broader eco-friendly lifestyle changes (e.g., lowering energy use).

Bridging the gap between technology, psychology, and behavioral economics…what an meaningful project!

Collaborators

Charlotte Gerritsen

Sanchayan Banerjee

Jagoda Hanuszewicz

Zixuan Wang