Virtual Reality in Supporting Charitable Giving: The Role of Vicarious Experience, Existential Guilt, and Need for Stimulation

Although a growing number of charities have used virtual reality (VR) technology for fundraising activities, with better results than ever before, little research has been undertaken on what factors make VR beneficial in supporting charitable giving. The primary goal of this study is to investigate the underlying mechanism of VR in supporting charitable giving, which extends the current literature on VR and donation behaviors. The findings of this study indicated that VR charitable appeals increase actual money donations when compared to the traditional two-dimensional (2D) format and that this effect is achieved through a serial mediating effect of vicarious experience and existential guilt. Findings also identify the need for stimulation as a boundary condition, indicating that those with a higher (vs. lower) need for stimulation were more (vs. less) affected by the mediating mechanism of VR charitable appeals on donations. This work contributes to our understanding of the relationship between VR technology and charitable giving, as well as to future research on VR and its prosocial applications.