Virtual embodiment increases male sensitivity to catcalling experiences

Women are disproportionately subjected to the widespread social problem of street harassment. This study focuses on catcalling, a specific form of harassment characterized by unsolicited verbal or gestural comments often centered on physical appearance. To investigate the emotional and cognitive impact of this experience, we employ an immersive virtual reality (VR) paradigm wherein male participants embody a female avatar to experience street harassment firsthand. Participants’ emotional responses were assessed through both explicit self-reports, guided by Ekman’s emotion model, and implicit measures derived from a semantic analysis of their verbal reactions. Our findings reveal two primary outcomes: first, the experience elicited heightened feelings of anger and disgust, emotions frequently associated with moral disapproval; second, a significant correlation emerged between the intensity of these emotions and the subjective sense of virtual embodiment. This research also introduces an AI-driven method for simulating cognitive and neural patterns associated with the experience. These results underscore the potential of VR as a tool for promoting social safety, with significant applications for clinical and educational interventions.