{"title":"Examining the Effects of Gender Transfer in Virtual Reality on Implicit Gender Bias.","authors":"Linfeng Wu, Karen B Chen","doi":"10.1177/00187208221145264","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To investigate the effect of gender transfer in virtual reality on implicit gender bias.</p><p><strong>Background: </strong>Gender bias is a type of discrimination based on gender, which can lead to increased self-doubt and decreased self-esteem. Sexual harassment is a hostile form of gender bias that can cause anxiety, depression, and significant mental health issues. Virtual reality (VR) has been employed to help make people become aware of their biases and change their attitudes regarding gender, race, and age.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Forty participants were embodied in avatars of different genders and experienced sexual harassment scenarios in VR. A gender Implicit Association Test (IAT) was administered before and after the experience.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>There was a statistically significant main effect of participant gender (<i>F</i> (1,36) = 10.67, <i>p</i> = .002, partial η<sup>2</sup> = .23) on ΔIAT, where males and females reported a decrease (M = -.12, SD = .24) and an increase (M = .10, SD = .25) in IAT scores, respectively. A statistically significant two-way interaction between gender transfer and participant gender was revealed (<i>F</i> (1,36) = 6.32, <i>p</i> = .02, partial η<sup>2</sup> = .15). There was a significant simple effect of gender transfer for male participants (<i>F</i> (1,36) = 8.70, <i>p</i> = .006, partial η<sup>2</sup> = .19).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Implicit gender bias can be modified, at least temporarily, through embodiment in VR. Gender transfer through embodiment while encountering different sexual harassment scenarios helped reduce implicit gender bias. There was a tendency for individuals to increase bias for the gender of the avatar in which they embodied.</p><p><strong>Applications: </strong>The current research provided promising evidence that a virtual environment system may be used as a potential training tool to improve implicit gender bias.</p>","PeriodicalId":56333,"journal":{"name":"Human Factors","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.9000,"publicationDate":"2024-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Human Factors","FirstCategoryId":"102","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00187208221145264","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2022/12/27 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Objective: To investigate the effect of gender transfer in virtual reality on implicit gender bias.
Background: Gender bias is a type of discrimination based on gender, which can lead to increased self-doubt and decreased self-esteem. Sexual harassment is a hostile form of gender bias that can cause anxiety, depression, and significant mental health issues. Virtual reality (VR) has been employed to help make people become aware of their biases and change their attitudes regarding gender, race, and age.
Methods: Forty participants were embodied in avatars of different genders and experienced sexual harassment scenarios in VR. A gender Implicit Association Test (IAT) was administered before and after the experience.
Results: There was a statistically significant main effect of participant gender (F (1,36) = 10.67, p = .002, partial η2 = .23) on ΔIAT, where males and females reported a decrease (M = -.12, SD = .24) and an increase (M = .10, SD = .25) in IAT scores, respectively. A statistically significant two-way interaction between gender transfer and participant gender was revealed (F (1,36) = 6.32, p = .02, partial η2 = .15). There was a significant simple effect of gender transfer for male participants (F (1,36) = 8.70, p = .006, partial η2 = .19).
Conclusions: Implicit gender bias can be modified, at least temporarily, through embodiment in VR. Gender transfer through embodiment while encountering different sexual harassment scenarios helped reduce implicit gender bias. There was a tendency for individuals to increase bias for the gender of the avatar in which they embodied.
Applications: The current research provided promising evidence that a virtual environment system may be used as a potential training tool to improve implicit gender bias.
期刊介绍：
Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society publishes peer-reviewed scientific studies in human factors/ergonomics that present theoretical and practical advances concerning the relationship between people and technologies, tools, environments, and systems. Papers published in Human Factors leverage fundamental knowledge of human capabilities and limitations – and the basic understanding of cognitive, physical, behavioral, physiological, social, developmental, affective, and motivational aspects of human performance – to yield design principles; enhance training, selection, and communication; and ultimately improve human-system interfaces and sociotechnical systems that lead to safer and more effective outcomes.
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