Immersive Media and Prosociality

1. Auflage 2026
ISBN: 978-1-032-79771-7
Verlag: Routledge

Buch, Englisch, 276 Seiten, Format (B × H): 161 mm x 240 mm, Gewicht: 534 g

Reihe: Routledge Research in Communication Studies

This book explores the growing role of immersive media in fostering prosociality, examining how virtual reality and 360-degree video can shape empathy, attitudes, intentions, and prosocial behaviours.

At a time marked by increasing social polarisation, discrimination, and global humanitarian challenges, the book argues that prosociality offers a valuable framework for understanding the social potential of immersive technologies. Bringing together theoretical perspectives, empirical findings, and analyses of influential immersive productions, it demonstrates how features such as presence, embodiment, and interactivity can promote meaningful engagement with others and, under certain conditions, contribute to positive social change. The book develops an integrative framework for understanding the mechanisms through which immersive media influence prosocial outcomes while also considering the moderating role of audience characteristics, content features, social contexts, and patterns of media use.

ffering one of the first comprehensive examinations of the relationship between immersive media and prosociality, this book will be essential reading for scholars and students of media and communication studies, media psychology, social psychology, digital culture, and immersive technologies. It will be of particular interest to researchers working on immersive media, prosocial media effects, mediated intergroup contact, and social impact storytelling.

Zielgruppe

Academic, Postgraduate, and Undergraduate Advanced

Autoren/Hrsg.

Canet, Fernando

Fachgebiete

• Sozialwissenschaften Medien- und Kommunikationswissenschaften Medienwissenschaften
• Sozialwissenschaften Soziologie | Soziale Arbeit Spezielle Soziologie Mediensoziologie
• Sozialwissenschaften Medien- und Kommunikationswissenschaften Kommunikationswissenschaften

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1. Introduction; 2. Immersion and Immersive Experiences; 3. Prosocial Responses; 4. Mediators and Moderators; 5. Health and Social Care; 6. Racial Discrimination Against Black Communities; 7. Forced Displacement: Refugees and Migrants; 8. Conclusion; Index

Über Autor(innen)

Fernando Canet is Professor of Media and Communication Studies at the Fine Arts College, Universitat Politècnica de València, Spain.