This study conducted a two-condition between-subjects laboratory experiment (N = 147) to examine the effects of textual disaster news combined with a 360° video in different modes (virtual reality [VR] vs. two dimensional screen) on cognitive/affective empathy and fear. Additionally, the mediating role of presence (social and spatial presence) was considered. Results indicated that the news article presented through an immersive VR mode directly led to greater levels of presence and cognitive empathy but not affective empathy and fear. The effects on social presence further resulted in greater cognitive and affective empathy, not fear. Meanwhile, spatial presence enhanced by VR led to greater levels of emotions (affective empathy and fear) but not cognitive empathy. These findings suggest the dynamic mechanisms of how an immersive VR modality can function as a complementary tool for traditional news to improve audience engagement, which centers on emotion-related outcomes in tandem with cognitive responses.

中文翻译：

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虚拟现实在增强灾难新闻对同理心和恐惧的影响方面的辅助作用：存在的中介作用。

本研究进行了一项双条件受试者间实验室实验 (N = 147)，以检验文本灾难新闻结合不同模式（虚拟现实 [VR] 与二维屏幕）的 360° 视频对认知/情感的影响同理心和恐惧。此外，还考虑了存在（社会和空间存在）的中介作用。结果表明，通过沉浸式 VR 模式呈现的新闻文章直接导致更高水平的存在感和认知同理心，但不会导致情感同理心和恐惧。对社会存在的影响进一步导致了更大的认知和情感同理心，而不是恐惧。同时，通过 VR 增强的空间临场感会导致更高水平的情绪（情感同理心和恐惧），但不会导致认知同理心。