Perspective Taking in VR | Dementia Care Project

conceived by Dreama Cleaver

Creative Team
Maria Palazzi, ACCAD, Department of Design
Holly Dabelko-Schoeny, College of Social Work
Ian E. Murphy, College of Social Work
Vita Berezina-Blackburn, ACCAD
Alex Oliszewski, ACCAD, Department of Theatre
Jeremy Patterson, ACCAD, VR developer
Daniel Montour, Intercultural Learning Program Specialist, Actor

Graduate Students
Dreama Cleaver, MFA, Department of Design / ACCAD
Victoria Campbell, MFA Candidate, Department of Design / ACCAD

2018-2020

Project Overview

“With 5.7 million individuals living with dementia in the U.S., there will be increased demands on physicians as they care for these patients. Using innovative interventions to support the development of clinical empathy among healthcare practitioners has the potential to increase quality of care and positive health outcomes.”

This interdisciplinary project explores how Virtual Reality (VR) can cultivate empathy through perspective-taking by placing users in the shoes of a person living with dementia.

Grounded in research showing that VR immersion can reduce stereotyping and increase empathy (Yee & Bailenson, 2006), the team at ACCAD developed a Virtual Reality Performance Platform for Learning about Dementia (VR-ED).

How It Works

  • Participants enter a 15–20-minute interactive VR scenario, guided by a live actor performing as a caregiver via a virtual avatar.

  • The participant experiences the world from the perspective of someone with progressing dementia, with the scenario spanning a simulated year of cognitive decline.

  • The environment and interactions shift in real time, simulating memory loss, confusion, and time disorientation.

  • Participants can respond improvisationally, exploring emotional and verbal reactions to the caregiver and situation.

  • These interactions are observed by an audience, enabling shared reflection.

  • The experience concludes with a facilitated debriefing session, led by a trained social worker, allowing participants to process their insights and reactions.

More Information

Watch the Project Video: Dementia Care Project Video Link

Learn More About the Research: Research Link

  • Alex performing real-time in VR. An image of the volunteer's perspective is projected on a large screen behind the stage.

    Alex performing real-time in VR. An image of the volunteer's perspective is projected on a large screen behind the stage.

    A volunteer is self selected from an audience and invited to wear a wireless HTC Vive headset and interact in real time with a live performer and a responsive virtual environment. Using Unity, Vicon motion capture, and optically tracked props for haptic feedback, each installation blends improvisation, embodiment, and narrative exploration. The systems are housed in a 40x40’ space with a 20x20’ tracked volume and include optional spatial audio via wireless microphones and headphones. This work advances research in co-presence, collaborative storytelling, and applied simulation across performance, education, and training.

  • Performance image from the Dementia Care ProjectAlex performing in non-passthrough XR/VR

    A portable version of the system allowed us to bring it to care givers across the state of Ohio.

    Alex is performs with a volunteer in front of an audience of caregivers, social workers, and health professionals.

  • System diagram for XR/VR Dementia Care project.

    A system diagram demonstrating the media system design for real time performance with immersed volunteer and audience.