Enhancing Societal Change Through Immersive Communication

About

Addressing societal challenges requires large-scale behavior change. However, conventional communication methods often fall short in significantly altering individuals’ threat and coping appraisals, which are critical for driving behavioral change. Professor Böhm advocates for the potential of immersive communication—leveraging technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), extended reality (XR)—to overcome these limitations. Drawing from recent empirical evidence, he will showcase immersive interventions in domains such as vaccination, antimicrobial resistance, and climate change. Additionally, he will discuss novel directions and technological advancements, including artificial intelligence, that can truly position immersive communication as a complementary method for addressing pressing societal issues.