Speaking at APA on In Group/ Out group Bias and how virtual reality (VR) can bring insight into this form of favoritism toward one's own group or derogation of another group. An in-group is a group of people who identify with each other based on a variety of factors including gender, race, religion, or geography. The tendency to distinguish between in-group and out-group members has moral implications.
What are the implications of autonomy? At the Hamlyn symposium we discussed how medical robot autonomy may result in situations where the human operator may no longer mitigate risks. There exists a shift in responsibility during robotic surgery--who becomes responsible for the outcome during robotic surgery? What is the criteria for a surgeon's responsibility--control, regulation, intervention and/or observation? Is the robot responsible? Perhaps only if the robot is an agent. What about the responsibility of the developer or manufacturer of the robot--collective responsibility?
Research suggests greater emotional engagement increases empathy and decreases cognitive resistance to behavioral and attitudinal change. Dr. Durnell argues that viewing emotional content in VR can provoke emotional reactions that are the precursors to behavioral, attitudinal and social change.
Innovation can help engage in the transformational change in health issues. Collaborate for a better world—deep and profound innovation in the human condition can change the human experience (Greenleaf, 2017). "Technology can change personal experience by structuring it—by augmenting it—by replacing it" (Riva, 2017).
