Virtual Reality Is Redefining How We Teach Empathy and Communication

“We don’t receive systematic training on communication. It’s very informal and implicit, but we are still expected to have that type of behavior as leaders. This is a way to create a more structured way to train and develop better communication.”

Anna Queiroz, PhD, Associate Professor, Interactive Media Department, University of Miami

Virtual reality is increasingly part of conversations about how organizations prepare people for complex interpersonal work. Leaders in competitive sectors face rising expectations to handle difficult conversations with clarity, composure, and a sense of human connection. Yet most communication and leadership training still depends on informal feedback or sporadic coaching sessions rather than structured practice that allows people to improve without social pressure.

Research teams are examining whether immersive technology can fill that gap. VR environments can simulate challenging workplace scenarios and create controlled spaces where individuals can experiment with tone, language, and emotional expression.

A new study published in Computers & Education: X Reality explores how virtual reality (VR) can strengthen empathetic communication skills through immersive perspective-taking. Conducted by researchers from Stanford’s Virtual Human Interaction Lab and the Stanford Accelerator for Learning, the study used Natural Language Processing (NLP) to analyze how participants’ language shifted after VR-based feedback exercises. Results showed a measurable increase in self-referential language (“I” usage) and in personal emotional expression, signaling deeper engagement and the development of empathy.

As education and corporate training systems increasingly seek scalable ways to build leadership and emotional intelligence, the findings point to VR’s growing role in cultivating human-centered capabilities. It offers a window into how emerging tools may support the development of empathetic and precise communication.

To understand what this work reveals about the future of empathy training, we spoke with Dr. Anna Queiroz, an associate professor at the University of Miami, whose study examines how immersive environments support the practice of effective and emotionally aware communication.

Dr. Anna Queiroz is an associate professor in the Interactive Media Department, the founding director of the Future Realities Research Lab, and a member of the Frost Institute of Data Science and Computing at the University of Miami. She leads innovative VR initiatives in communication, education, and climate change in public settings across the United States, Latin America, and Europe. Her research focuses on the cognitive, social, and psychological impacts of emerging media on human behavior, charting new frontiers in education and communication.

She leads one of the largest VR research projects in education, introducing VR to approximately 33,000 middle and high school students from low-income communities. This project has earned media recognition and an award from the King Center on Global Development at Stanford University.

Her research interests focus on lab and field studies, which combine traditional research methods with artificial intelligence to understand human behavior in media environments.

Dr. Queiroz’s work informs researchers, governments, and the industry on using emerging media in education, workforce training, and communication. She holds a PhD and MSc in cognitive psychology and degrees in business, behavioral medicine, and education. She completed her post-doc in a double appointment at the Graduate School of Education and the School of Communication at Stanford University.

Training programs for communication and leadership often rely on coaching, workshops, and role-play exercises. These methods can help people prepare for difficult conversations, yet they rarely offer the consistency or scale required in large organizations. Many employees advance into leadership roles without structured opportunities to practice the interpersonal skills that shape team culture and performance.

Virtual reality introduces a new model by recreating workplace scenarios in a private, repeatable environment where individuals can practice communication without the pressure of peers watching. As companies seek reliable ways to build emotional intelligence across the workforce, this type of immersive simulation is becoming increasingly relevant.

With this in mind, the report “Self-review and feedback in virtual reality dialogues increase language markers of personal and emotional expression in an empathetic communication training experience” offers insight into how companies and leaders can leverage immersive systems to support empathy development. The work, led by Queiroz, examines how VR perspective-taking influences communication patterns. And this research offers insight into how immersive experiences may reinforce behaviors that support stronger team relationships, clearer feedback conversations, and more effective leadership.

Participants begin with a communication framework called LIVES, which employs five behaviors associated with empathetic interaction: listen, inquire, validate, express, and support. The framework sets expectations for how participants might approach a performance conversation once they enter the virtual environment.

Within the simulation, each participant assumes the role of a manager conducting a performance review with a virtual employee named Brad. They sit in a digital office and complete a series of guided actions, such as greeting the employee or presenting expectations. The platform records spoken language along with head and hand movements, creating a detailed record of how the meeting unfolds. Dr. Queiroz explains that VR’s sense of presence shapes how users respond. “After some minutes, your brain starts to process that digital content as real,” she said.

The study includes three conditions. In one, participants complete the conversation twice with no additional feedback. In another, they view their own performance from the employee’s perspective, experiencing the meeting as the person receiving the evaluation. A third condition adds short reflective prompts that focus attention on specific elements of communication, such as clarity or emotional expression, before participants repeat the conversation.

To examine whether the experience influences communication, the research team applies Natural Language Processing tools to categorize words into markers such as emotional language and the use of first-, second-, or third-person pronouns. The method provides a consistent way to observe how participants’ language shifts across conditions and whether VR-supported reflection leads to more personal, engaged, or emotionally aware communication.

A structure like this allows researchers to observe how people adjust their communication when given the chance to review or reflect on their own behavior. It also sets the foundation for understanding whether brief, immersive exercises can prompt measurable shifts in how individuals speak during sensitive workplace interactions. The next section examines what changed in participants’ language and how those patterns point to VR’s growing role in empathy development.

Organizations across sectors are paying closer attention to immersive technology as they search for reliable ways to strengthen communication and leadership skills. Companies face rising expectations that managers navigate performance discussions with clarity and emotional awareness, and many are looking for tools that let employees practice these interactions in a realistic yet low-pressure environment. VR offers that possibility by giving users the chance to rehearse sensitive conversations, observe their own behavior, and attempt a revised approach in the same session.

The research helps illustrate how these systems influence communication in measurable ways. Natural Language Processing categorizes language by markers such as emotional expression and the use of first-, second-, or third-person pronouns. These markers reveal how people shift their communication style when they move through a simulation more than once.

Dr. Queiroz found that participants who viewed their performance from another perspective and received reflective prompts used more emotional language during their second conversation. “They expressed more emotions in the second round,” she said.

Pronoun usage shifted as well. Participants relied more on first-person language and fewer distancing phrases, which align with patterns commonly associated with engaged and supportive communication. Dr. Queiroz noted this transition: “They increased the use of first-person pronouns and decreased the use of third-person pronouns. It means that they started to use more I,” she said. Phrases such as “I understand” or “I can help with that” signal a more collaborative stance, which is often emphasized in leadership development.

One result stands out for organizations integrating VR into training. Participants’ communication changed, but their self-reported emotional concern for others stayed consistent.

“We saw these changes in the communication, but we didn’t see a change in the subjective measure,” Dr. Queiroz said. The finding suggests that behavior and internal emotion do not always shift together, especially during short exercises. From a training perspective, it indicates that communication habits can improve even before emotional attitudes evolve.

Repetition also played a role. Participants who completed the scenario twice without perspective-taking showed some improvement in their use of personal language. This pattern supports the idea that short, repeatable simulations can reinforce communication behaviors over time, which is valuable for organizations navigating large-scale training needs.

Together, these findings point to a larger opportunity. VR does not replace traditional leadership development, but it adds a structured space where employees can practice high-stakes conversations, receive feedback grounded in observable behavior, and build communication habits that support healthier team dynamics. The next section examines why companies and institutions are adopting these tools and where they see potential for long-term use.

Interest in VR-based communication training is growing as organizations search for consistent ways to prepare managers for difficult conversations. Many companies promote teamwork, psychological safety, and strong interpersonal skills, yet offer limited opportunities for employees to practice those expectations in realistic scenarios. Training often depends on workshops or coaching sessions that vary widely in quality and are difficult to scale across large teams. VR offers a controlled environment where people can rehearse sensitive interactions privately, repeat them as needed, and receive feedback based on observable behavior rather than personal judgment.

Before VR tools were widely available, Dr. Queiroz relied on physical staging, actors, sound, lighting, and scent to evoke emotional responses in leadership exercises. “I manipulated sounds, lights, and even scent to trigger emotions,” she said. The goal was to place participants in situations where communication challenges felt real, then help them reflect on their reactions. The approach worked, but it required time, staff, and coordination, making it difficult to use at scale. Her transition into VR research stemmed from the need to recreate those emotional conditions in a more flexible, repeatable way.

The privacy of VR environments also addresses a persistent challenge in leadership development. Many managers hesitate to receive direct feedback on their communication style, especially from peers or supervisors. Dr. Queiroz noted the discomfort that can emerge when coaching becomes too personal. She explained that leaders often resist evaluative comments such as “you could do better” or “this is not working,” even when the intention is constructive. VR reduces that pressure. Users can practice alone, replay their own behavior without external scrutiny, and build confidence in communication before engaging in real conversations.

This flexibility is why interest extends beyond the tech sector. Companies in fields such as healthcare, education, and finance are exploring how VR-based practice can support employees onboarding, performance management, and conflict resolution. Higher education institutions also see potential, since VR simulations allow students to rehearse professional interactions long before they enter the workforce. The technology offers a predictable structure for practicing communication and provides a space where mistakes do not carry social or professional consequences.

VR’s ability to record spoken language, track movement, and pair feedback with specific moments in a conversation also aligns with organizational goals for more data-informed training. Instead of relying solely on broad evaluations or infrequent workshops, companies can offer targeted practice sessions that reinforce skills gradually. As Dr. Queiroz’s research shows, even short interactions can prompt shifts in communication patterns when users receive clear opportunities to review and try again.

These factors are shaping how organizations think about leadership development and team communication. VR does not replace traditional training, but it adds a tool that supports consistent practice in realistic, emotionally meaningful environments. The next section examines where this technology may be headed and the considerations that will shape its role in future education and workforce programs.

The growing use of VR in communication training reflects a broader shift toward tools that help people prepare for interpersonal challenges with greater structure and support. Organizations want managers who can handle difficult conversations with clarity and steadiness, and they are exploring methods that give employees space to practice those skills in realistic yet low-risk environments. Immersive simulations offer that combination by recreating complex scenarios and giving users the chance to adjust their approach through repeated practice.

And findings from this recent research help clarify what these systems may contribute as they mature. Brief simulations can influence how people speak during performance conversations, especially when participants review their own behavior or observe the situation from another perspective. Changes in emotional language and personal engagement suggest that immersive practice may strengthen communication habits that are difficult to teach through traditional workshops. The results also highlight the value of repetition, which aligns with how many organizations already think about long-term skill development.

As companies expand their use of VR, they are also considering how AI-driven analysis might deepen the feedback process. Tools that evaluate language patterns or emotional expression can offer specific insights that help users understand the impact of their communication choices. These features may eventually guide more personalized training pathways, especially for employees moving into leadership roles for the first time.

Ethical and design considerations will continue to shape the evolution of immersive training tools. Institutions adopting VR are exploring questions related to privacy, data use, and the balance between automated feedback and human judgment. Many see VR as one part of a larger learning system rather than a stand-alone solution. The technology provides structure and consistency, while managers, mentors, and trainers help contextualize users’ experiences in the headset.

Together, these developments point to a future where immersive tools support a more intentional approach to communication training. VR gives people a space to practice difficult conversations, observe their own behavior with greater clarity, and develop habits that contribute to healthier team dynamics. As organizations continue to invest in skills that strengthen workplace relationships, immersive environments will likely play a growing role in how empathy and communication are taught.