The ability to imagine yourself in the image of Albert Einstein allows you to reveal previously inaccessible brain resources. Participants in a study using virtual reality technology, embodied in the image of Einstein, were less inclined to unconsciously follow stereotypes about older people, while people with low self-esteem performed better on cognitive tests. Published in Frontiers in Psychology, the study suggests that the brain's perception of the body is surprisingly flexible. This approach can find application in education.
“Virtual reality can create the illusion of a virtual body replacing its own,” says Professor Mel Slater of the University of Barcelona. "In immersive virtual reality, participants can see the reflection of their new body in a mirror, and it follows their movements precisely, helping to create the powerful illusion that the virtual body is real."
Previous research has found that virtual incarnation can have a profound effect on attitudes and behavior. For example, white people who tried on a virtual body with black skin displayed fewer unconscious stereotypes (called unaccountable prejudices) towards blacks.
“We were interested in whether virtual incarnation can affect cognitive performance. If we provide someone with a recognizable body that represents high intelligence (for example, Albert Einstein), will such a person perform better in intellectual tasks?"
30 young people took part in the experiment on virtual incarnation. Before reincarnation, the participants completed three tasks: a task to determine the ability to plan and solve problems; task to determine the levels of self-esteem; and designed to expose unaccountable prejudice against older people. This last task was to help determine if the experience of incarnation in the body of an old person would change the attitude towards older people.
The subjects put on a body-tracking suit and a virtual reality helmet. Half of the participants were transported into Einstein's virtual body, and the other half into the body of an ordinary adult. After performing several exercises in the virtual body, they re-passed the tests for unaccountable bias and cognitive tests.
The researchers found that people with low self-esteem performed better on cognitive tasks while in the image of Einstein, compared to the average person acting in virtual affairs. The Einsteins also showed less bias towards older people.
Prejudice is based on the perception of the other as different. Being in an older body may have changed the mental attitudes of the participants, blurring the distinction between themselves and older people.
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Likewise, being in the “body” of a very intelligent person could make the participants think differently about themselves, revealing psychic resources not normally available.
Most importantly, these improvements in cognitive function only occurred in people with low self-esteem. Researchers suggest that such people will benefit the most from the change in self-perception. Being a famous scientist could boost their self-confidence during cognitive testing.
To further this phenomenon requires experiments with a large number of participants, men and women. But the results already suggest that this approach may be useful in education, especially for people with low self-esteem.
Vadim Tarabarko