Empathetic Approach Research Articles

COMPAS: AN APP TO PROMOTE PERSON-CENTERED COMMUNICATION BETWEEN PEOPLE LIVING WITH DEMENTIA AND THEIR CAREGIVERS

Abstract Introduction People living with dementia (PWD) experience communication deficits as soon as the early stages of the diseases, deficits which significantly increase over time. In the last stages, constant communication breakdowns lead to reduced exchanges with caregivers, resulting in the isolation of both communication partners. These difficulties have negative impacts on the quality of life of PWD and their caregivers, who themselves face increasing burden. While communication difficulties in PWD are a core issue in care, few interventions to address this issue have been developed. Aims: The present study focused on COMPAs, an app designed to sustain communication between PWD and their caregivers. COMPAS has been shown to trigger emotional communication during the short co-viewing of personalized audiovisual material. Method: This was a pre-post intervention study with COMPAs in 2 long-term care centers. Seventeen caregivers used COMPAs in the context of daily routines over eight weeks with seventeen PWD. Data collection included specific questionnaires and semi-structured interviews to measure effects on communication and caregiver burden. Data analyses combined quantitative and qualitative approaches. Results In caregivers, there was a significant improvement in personal achievement at work. Semi-structured interviews showed an improvement in communication in the dyad and a more empathetic approach to caregiving. Discussion These results indicate that the communication triggered by COMPAs breaks down communication barriers, by creating positive exchanges through personalized emotionally driven exchanges, while stimulating empathy and personalized interventions. Caregivers see COMPAs as an ecological tool to address communication barriers, while facilitating an empathetic caregiving relationship.

An Undervalued Diagnosis: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in the Perinatal Period: A Case Report

BACKGROUND: Perinatal Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a disorder that occurs around childbirth, typically after a traumatic birth experience, where women may feel violated due to traumatic childbirth interventions they cannot control. Traumatic birth is defined as an event in which the mother perceives a real or perceived threat to herself or her baby, causing intense fear, helplessness, and horror. This can be considered an obstetric sequel. It is relevant to note that among pregnant women, perinatal PTSD is the third most common psychiatric disorder, with a prevalence ranging from 0.8% to 43% worldwide. Despite its significance, it is little-known, underdiagnosed, and often confused with other conditions such as depression or anxiety. Furthermore, it results in serious family, social, and occupational dysfunctions and is associated with other pathologies. Clinically, women with perinatal PTSD experience symptoms such as re-experiencing the event, detachment from the newborn, nightmares, irritability, and rejection of motherhood. This can lead to consequences for the mother, ranging from a desire not to become pregnant again to severe symptoms such as dissociation, stress, anxiety, and depression. It also affects those close to the mother, such as the partner and family. The aim of this work is to describe perinatal PTSD and emphasize the importance of early identification and appropriate treatment by medical professionals for the benefit of mothers and their children THE CASE: We describe a 35-year-old patient with a history of mixed depressive and anxiety disorder since 2018 experiences perinatal post-traumatic stress disorder. This is related to physical and verbal abuse during her second childbirth, resulting in a traumatic experience. Her childhood was marked by the feeling that her mother favored her younger sister and subjected her to physical and emotional abuse. The first pregnancy was unplanned, and she faced humiliation and abandonment by her partner. Despite the circumstances, the birth was a positive experience. The second pregnancy was planned and desired, but during childbirth in a different clinic from the first, she experienced inadequate care conditions, a lack of privacy, and physical abuse by medical staff. She also received inappropriate comments from the attending gynecologist. During the postpartum period, she shared a room with a cancer patient, complicating her experience. After childbirth, she experienced a hypertensive disorder in the postpartum and chose not to return to the hospital where she gave birth due to her traumatic experiences. Overall, her story reveals a series of challenging experiences related to motherhood that have contributed to her current mental health state. CONCLUSION: Perinatal PTSD is a psychiatric disorder that affects a significant number of pregnant and postpartum women. Its prevalence varies widely, reflecting the need for increased awareness and early detection. Despite its considerable impact on maternal mental health and well-being, perinatal PTSD is often overlooked or confused with other conditions such as depression and anxiety. It's important to raise awareness among medical staff about this disorder and provide a comprehensive and empathetic approach to enhance care for mothers during childbirth and the postpartum period.

The Topic of Snakes in Teacher Training

Perceptions about snakes range from fascination to phobia, making them a relevant topic for discussion in environmental issues of basic education. This topic requires a safe and empathetic approach by teachers. Considering that environmental education is a curriculum guideline to be developed by teachers from different areas of knowledge, we investigated some factors that may influence the attitude of undergraduate students in teaching degrees when addressing this topic in an extracurricular activity.. We evaluated 120 future teachers through an online survey regarding their area of expertise, training stage, values, and emotions or feelings towards professional behavior when encountering a snake during an environmental education activity in a non-formal setting. The results indicate that only “fear” and “scientist” values interfered with the performance of future teachers. We propose that environmental education involving stigmatized animals be emphasized in teaching degrees to expand positive didactic experiences, minimize prejudicesand fears, and facilitate the reconstruction and dissemination of knowledge through the conscious action of future educators.

The IRA and the Partition of Ireland

The Irish Republican Army (IRA) has been the most aggressively hostile opponent of the border that was established in Ireland during the 1920s. This article focuses on the fact that the IRA’s own violence emerged from a substantial, evolving and complex politics. It suggests that close consideration of that politics, of associated IRA violence and of the long-term implications of both, represents a necessary part of understanding the Irish border and its associated and important histories. Three case studies are considered: Ernie O’Malley (1897–1957); Peadar O’Donnell (1893–1986); the Provisional IRA (1969–2005). The article argues that the paradoxical outcomes of these three significant IRA case studies point towards the need for greater honesty about the actual effects of non-state political violence; it also argues for an empathetic approach to understanding those with whom one instinctively disagrees, if the political history of the Irish border and its legacies is to be properly understood.

Sensitisation, research and management for conservation within ESPOL University forests after the COVID-19 pandemic, Ecuador

Non sustainable land uses are disturbing natural habitats and wild animals’ ecology worldwide. Nevertheless, the sensitisation of key actors combined with research and a consequent management can influence decision-making and improve animals’ well-being. COVID-19 has influenced the number of interactions with wildlife in urban environments and the ESPOL Polytechnic University is a university campus that holds forested areas in Guayaquil, Ecuador. We implemented an environmental education course with an empathetic approach for the security guards of the university. We used questionnaires to evaluate their attitudes and knowledge on wildlife before and after the sensitisation course. In addition, we registered the incidences of native fauna resulting from the guards’ collaborations and we designed management strategies according to the data gathered. The guards showed an improvement in their knowledge of the issues covered (n = 81–87; X̄ = 163.4%) and an increased preference for wild and native fauna after the sensitisation course (n = 67; 151.6%). Furthermore, the collaborations of guards with the Biodiversity Unit of the university concerning animal-human interactions increased, as did the supporting actions towards the well-being of native animals. Moreover, the information about direct and indirect interactions with wildlife included reports on traces of large to medium animal activity and a record of illegal hunting of Choloepus hoffmanni for bushmeat consumption. Obtained data sustained adaptive management actions such as signalling and restrictions in use. We recommend educating key actors with an empathetic approach, developing critical skills and promoting collaborations to reduce human impacts in wild areas.

Turkish Newcomers’ Experience of the Belgian Labour Market: A Qualitative Study

This study explored the integration process of Turkish-speaking migrants in Belgium from a phenomenological perspective. In collaboration with Antwerp’s ATLAS integration hub, we conducted six focus groups comprising 59 Turkish-speaking newcomers with diverse religious, national, and regional backgrounds to examine Turkish integration in Belgium. Participants told their stories and deconstructed their knowledge of the local people, particularly the cultural distinctive subjective beliefs and prejudices. Focus group members discussed their expectations, problem, ambitions, and cultural differences in Belgium’s multicultural society. Group composition was designed to be informal and diverse and promote peer support. Each group included some participants who were socially integrated, employed, and fluent in an official language. Although qualitative analysis revealed factors limit Turkish-speaking migrants’ opportunities in the labour market, group exchanges yielded solutions for building social capital and bridging differences, highlighting the importance of open-minded migrant integration course organisers and a kind and empathetic approach to the process.

The roles of community health workers in understanding COVID-19-related inequities among Black pregnant women

Abstract Background US Black pregnant women have worse birth and maternal outcomes than their White counterparts, and these disparities were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. We sought to examine community health workers’ roles in shaping low-income Black pregnant women’s experiences and perspectives on public health guidance during COVID-19. Methods Between December 2020 and September 2021, we conducted two to four semi-structured interviews and feedback sessions with each participant: community health workers or pregnant/postpartum women who self-identified as Black (thirty-five total interviews and twelve feedback sessions). Using a Longitudinal Qualitative Research approach, we looked at themes over time in perceptions of COVID-19 public health guidance, specifically related to vaccination, throughout pregnancy and the postpartum period. Results Community health workers were essential sources of information about the COVID-19 vaccine, risk and safety, and other related challenges. However, there was extensive distrust of science and of health providers. This was traced to historical and modern cases of medical and scientific abuse of Black Americans. Community health workers experienced much of the same distrust of public health guidance related to the pandemic as their clients. Conclusions Community health workers represent an important group for influencing perspectives of COVID-19 health and vaccine guidance among Black pregnant and postpartum women. Both groups’ views on public health guidance during the pandemic were shaped by complex historical, economic and cultural systems. To support trust- and rapport-building, healthcare providers should take an educated, empathetic approach to working with community health workers and understanding their patients’ histories and experiences.

Navigating cross-cultural port tourism: Unleashing the psychological safety valve for risk management

Existing research primarily concentrates on the influence of epidemic risk on industrial and economic growth, with less attention paid to understanding the internal psychological processes governing tourist risk prevention and management. In light of the imperative for risk mitigation in the post-epidemic era and the revival of travelers' desire to explore, our study introduces a practical mechanism aimed at alleviating psychological concerns and undertakes two thematic investigations. Through structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis, we elucidate the specific mechanisms for opening tourists' psychological safety valves and delve into the factors contributing to tourists' empathy. Furthermore, we delve into the empathetic path for port risk prevention and management, employing four rounds of expert-driven fuzzy evaluation. Consequently, we put forward an empathetic approach to port risk prevention and management for cross-cultural tourism development. This approach unravels the enigmatic ‘black box’ of port management in the post-COVID-19 era, spotlighting the pivotal role of empathy within it. Our study introduces a groundbreaking concept, the ‘opening of the psychological safety valve,’ shedding light on its potential to reconcile tourists' risk perceptions with their travel aspirations. This innovation stands to benefit destinations striving for the healthy growth of cross-cultural tourism.

Health-care leaders’ and professionals’ experiences and perceptions of compassionate leadership: A mixed-methods systematic review

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to identify and synthesise the best evidence on health-care leaders’ and professionals’ experiences and perceptions of compassionate leadership.Design/methodology/approachA mixed-methods systematic review was conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for mixed-methods systematic reviews using a convergent integrated approach. A systematic search was done in January 2023 in PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, Medic and MedNar databases. The results were reported based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses. The data was analysed using thematic analysis.FindingsTen studies were included in the review (five qualitative and five quantitative). The thematic analysis identified seven analytical themes as follows: treating professionals as individuals with an empathetic and understanding approach; building a culture for open and safe communication; being there for professionals; giving all-encompassing support; showing the way as a leader and as a strong professional; building circumstances for efficient work and better well-being; and growing into a compassionate leader.Practical implicationsCompassionate leadership can possibly address human resource-related challenges, such as health-care professionals’ burnout, turnover and the lack of patient safety. It should be taken into consideration by health-care leaders, their education and health-care organisations when developing their effectiveness.Originality/valueThis review synthesised the knowledge of compassionate leadership in health care and its benefits by providing seven core elements of health-care leaders’ and professionals’ experiences and perceptions of compassionate leadership.

P08.02.B NEEDS OF SUPPORT IN GLIOBLASTOMA - FROM THE PATIENTS’ PERSPECTIVE

Abstract BACKGROUND Patients with IDH-wt glioblastoma carry a poor prognosis with a rapidly progressive illness trajectory. It is clear that the disabling symptoms experienced throughout the course of the disease require different kind of support depending on the nature of the problems. Previous research has drawn attention to support needs for brain tumour in general, but there is a lack of data focusing on patients with glioblastoma. This study aimed to explore the need of support during the illness trajectory for patients with glioblastoma considered from their own perspective. MATERIAL AND METHODS Twelve individual interviews with patients with glioblastoma were conducted during 2022 in Sweden. The inclusion criteria were histologically confirmed diagnosis of IDH-wt glioblastoma since at least 2 months and age ≥ 18 years at the time of diagnosis. The focus of the interviews was on experiences and specific needs of support. The interviews took place on one occasion, at a location based on the participant's preferences. Three interviews were conducted face-to-face, eight via telephone and one was a video interview. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. The analysis process based on qualitative content analysis is still in progress, but preliminary data will be discussed. RESULTS The preliminary results indicate that persons with glioblastoma need support in how to handle troublesome symptoms as well as practical support with e.g., transport and work abilities. More specifically, they wanted help in finding coping strategies and how to overcome deteriorated executive abilities. They found it positive to have been attributed a specific contact to discuss such questions or problems. Knowing whom to turn to in troublesome situations contributed to a sense of security even if the contact was not used. Furthermore, they wanted healthcare to be easily accessible, and to use an empathetic approach for the individual. CONCLUSION The preliminary results indicate that patients with glioblastoma need person-centred support throughout the course of the disease. Support is needed at different organizational healthcare levels; partly on a more comprehensive level, where accessibility is emphasised as an important factor, but also on an individual level where the attitude by the health care staff is seen as an important part of the support from the healthcare system.

Materializing Habit to Make Visible

This article investigates how the performance of Lloyd Suh’s The Chinese Lady foregrounds the matter of visibility as a construct shaped by habitual patterns of perception, which in turn frames cultural bodies in ways that are marginalized, obscured and often misunderstood. Through the lens of habit, this play reveals how entrenched ways of seeing contribute to ‘habitual suffering’, the phenomenon where repeated exposure to simplified cultural representations leads to a diminished grasp of individuals’ multi-layered identities. The play’s interrogation of the audience’s passive consumption of the protagonist, Afong Moy, as a spectacle within a museum setting, resonates with Judith Butler’s theory of ‘frames’. Drawing on this conceptual framework, this article dissects the mechanisms through which habitual perspectives are formed and perpetuated. In doing so, it questions the spectators’ complicity in these processes and explores the potential for performing arts to disrupt and reconfigure the habitual gaze. By examining the paradoxical role of habit that simultaneously provides comfort through routinization and dulls sensory acuity, the article elaborates on how visibility is materially affected by the repetitive nature of human behaviour. It further suggests that the performing space can serve as a concrete medium to manifest, challenge and alter the ingrained way audiences engage with and interpret otherness, promoting a more nuanced and empathetic approach to cross-cultural encounters.

Kirjanik Valev Uibopuu perekondlik kirjavahetus eksiilis: ühise kirjade ruumi loomine distantsi lühendamise abi

Writer Valev Uibopuu (1913–1997) lived in exile from 1943 to 1991. During the whole exile period he carried on an active correspondence. Especially important was the correspondence with his first wife, journalist and writer Tuuli Reijonen, which started in 1943, and the correspondence with his family members who lived in Estonia, which started in 1953. These two family correspondences lay the foundation for this article. I try to find out how was it possible to cross – or at least shorten – the physical and temporal distance between the writer and the reader and to create a common space of communication at the same time. The hermeneutic and empathetic approach has helped me to examine the letters. I approach letters as a communicative, social, and textual space which is created in the writer’s and reader’s dialogue, and which also creates their relationship. At least two worlds meet in this space of letters: the writer’s and reader’s physical and temporal places; in the case of a refugee it also means an encounter between a new and an old place. I found at least four different ways how to cross the distance in Uibopuu’s family correspondence: creating a common moment of communication, creating a feeling of mental and physical closeness, expressing the writer’s and reader’s own places, and remembering the lost home together. The writer could create the common moment of communication by using the present tense, “talking” to the reader, using forms of addressing, and guessing the place and time of reading the letter. The writer could also demonstrate the feeling of mental and physical closeness by expressing textually touching, proximity and active thinking of the other party. The reader, in turn, could move in thoughts to the writer’s place by reading the writer’s expressions of her/his own place, like the weather and the atmosphere. And by remembering the common lost home, the writer and reader together could move in thoughts to the common place of the past. With these means of crossing the distance penfriends had a chance to create a common communicative, social, and transnational space of letters.

OPENING THE DOOR TO NEW LEVELS OF LEADERSHIP

AbstractThe author, a global executive leadership coach, speaker, and author, writes about how she first met Frances Hesselbein as did many other leaders, through the pioneering executive coach Marshall Goldsmith. “Even though I’d been advocating for a more empathetic approach when coaching executives,” the author writes, “it was as if Frances brought into sharp focus something that had until then remained fuzzy, broadening and elevating my understanding of leadership to a spiritual level. With a few words, she had just unlocked a door in my mind.” The author’s tribute to Frances concludes: “She made everyone feel seen and heard, putting her ego aside to light a spark in others. The spark she lit in me profoundly shaped my perspective on leadership and my coaching practice. My hope is that I’m in turn unlocking doors for othersࣧdoors to becoming the best version of themselves.”

Understanding Stakeholders' Perspectives to Increase COVID-19 Vaccine and Booster Uptake Among Black Individuals With Rheumatic Conditions.

Disparities in COVID-19 vaccine and booster uptake persist. This study aimed to obtain perspectives from community and physician stakeholders on COVID-19 vaccine and booster hesitancy and strategies to promote vaccine uptake among Black individuals with rheumatic and musculoskeletal conditions. We invited community leaders and physicians in greater Boston and Chicago to participate in semi-structured interviews using a moderator guide developed a priori. Participants were queried about how to best address vaccine hesitancy, strategies to target high-risk populations, and factors to identify future community leaders. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically using Dedoose. A total of 8 physicians and 12 community leaders participated in this study between November 2021 and October 2022. Qualitative analyses revealed misinformation/mixed messaging and mistrust, with subthemes including conspiracy theories, concerns regarding vaccine development and function, racism and historical injustices, and general mistrust of health care systems as the top cited reasons for COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Participants also shared demographic-specific differences, such as race, ethnicity, age, and gender that influenced the identified themes, with emphasis on COVID-19 vaccine access and apathy. Strategies for community-based vaccine-related information dissemination included personal storytelling with an iterative and empathetic approach, while recognizing the importance of protecting community leader well-being. To increase vaccine uptake among Black individuals with rheumatic conditions, strategies should acknowledge and respond to racial/ethnic and socioeconomic injustices that engender vaccine hesitancy. Messaging should be compassionate, individually tailored, and recognize heterogeneity in experiences and opinions. Results from these analyses will inform a planned community-based intervention in Boston and Chicago.

Strategi Efektif Komunikasi Bisnis Dalam Menangani Keluhan Pelanggan Pada Aplikasi Tiktokshop

It is hoped that this research can identify and examine appropriate procedures in business correspondence that can be used to determine client complaints in the Tiktokshop application. The Tiktokshop application is now one of the most widely used e-commerce platforms between buyers and sellers in today's digital era. However, the problem of customer complaints is also growing as a result of the rapid growth of platform users and transactions. This study uses a subjective examination strategy by leading meetings from top to bottom with various Tiktokshop clients and dissecting information using substance investigation techniques. The results of the examination show that an effective business communication strategy for dealing with customer complaints on the Tiktokshop application consists of several important steps. First, it is important to have a well-trained and responsive customer support team. This team must respond quickly to customer complaints and provide the right solutions. Second, effective communication through the Tiktokshop platform itself is also important. The use of private messages or comments under posts can be used to interact directly with customers and provide real-time problem solutions. When dealing with customer complaints on the Tiktokshop application, an effective business communication strategy includes quick responses, effective cross-platform communication, an empathetic approach, and a long-term relationship building system. This study contributes to understanding the importance of effective business communication in handling customer complaints in the fast-growing e-commerce era.

Being with Donkeys: Insights into the Valuing and Wellbeing of Donkeys in Central Ethiopia

Abstract This paper explores the interwoven lives of donkeys and the people who depend on them for their livelihoods in central Ethiopia. Drawing on data from 12 participatory workshops, insights were elicited into the ways human co-workers value and treat their donkey co-workers. Methodologically, Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) and Appreciative Inquiry (AI) techniques were merged to explore the complex and multi-dimensional contributions donkeys make to participants’ lives. Findings reveal working with donkeys can make the difference between destitution and modest survival, but societal perception of donkeys as low-status animals has an impact on their owners’ lives and donkey wellbeing. This research contributes empirical insights on the valuing of donkeys and enables a deepened understanding of human-donkey relations. The combination of PRA and AI in the methodology demonstrates how to formulate a compassionate and empathetic approach for exploring donkey value and wellbeing with marginalized groups.

'Pretty cathartic actually': Reflections on the attempt to reduce re-traumatization of researchers and nurses taking part in a longitudinal interview study.

To critically evaluate the concepts of harm and re-traumatization in the research process and to explore the ethical implications of conducting research on distressing topics using our research on the experiences of nurses working during the COVID-19 pandemic as an exemplar. Longitudinal qualitative interview study. Using qualitative narrative interviews, we explored the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on nurses' psychological well-being in the UK. To reduce the potential for harm to both research participants and researchers, the members of the research team were keen to establish ways to reduce the power differential between the researcher and participants. We found that our collaborative and team-based approach, with participant autonomy and researcher reflexivity embedded into the research framework, enabled the sensitive generation of data. Reduction of potential harm for both participants and researchers in the generation of at times highly distressing data with a traumatized population was achieved through a respectful, honest and empathetic approach within a team that met frequently for reflection. The research participants were not harmed by our research, instead they expressed gratitude at being given space and time to tell their stories in a supportive environment. Our work advances nursing knowledge through accentuating the value of giving autonomy to research participants to control their stories whilst working within a supportive research team with emphasis placed on reflexivity and debriefing. Nurses working clinically during COVID-19 were involved in the development of this study. Nurse participants were given autonomy over how and when they participated in the research process.

Hunc deum quis credet? Some Considerations on the Belief in the Divinity of Emperors

There are abundant examples of negative assessments of cultic honors to Roman emperors by nineteenth- and twentieth-century researchers. In the minds of historians raised in modern societies, in which monotheistic Abrahamic religions usually reign supreme, this is a completely understandable a priori approach; nevertheless, it hinders a correct understanding of Roman society in antiquity. This paper examines the need to provide a complex answer to the question of whether the inhabitants of the Roman world really believed in the divinity of their rulers. A complex answer to the question can only emerge from a historical contextualization of the phenomenon under analysis, an examination of the imperial cult within the wider changes that were taking place in Roman religion at the time, and application of the necessary empathetic approach.

COVID-19 Aşı Tereddütü ve Aşı Yaptırmayan Bireylerin Negatif Tutum Algıları: Nitel Çalışma

Abstract
 Objective: It has been noted that in different parts of the world there are a considerable number of people who have a negative attitude to coranavirus vaccines. Therefore, the possible causes of hesitancy and rejection towards COVID-19 vaccine have been found to be worth investigating. In this process, where fierce discussions have been raised, the reactions of individuals who have not received the COVID-19 vaccine from their environment have also been evaluated within the scope of this study. 
 Methods: Study data were collected between November, 2021 and February, 2022. Within the scope of the study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 participants. The data were analyzed by the method of inductive thematic analysis. 
 Result: As a result of the analysis, it was found that the participants found COVID-19 vaccines unnecessary, ineffective and/or risky. A number of participants have stated that COVID-19 vaccines may be part of larger goals. However, some participants reported that they felt pressure from their environment and perceived negative attitudes. 
 Conclusion: It is recommended to provide accurate information about the disease and vaccination, to be transparent and to show an empathetic approach to these individuals.

BRIDGING DESIGNER-USER GAP WITH A VIRTUAL REALITY-BASED EMPATHIC DESIGN APPROACH: CONTEXTUAL INFORMATION DETAILS

AbstractWithout shared experiences, empathy gaps between designers and users are difficult to bridge. Advancing Virtual Reality (VR) has shed new light on this regard by enabling designers to simulate and experience their users' living scenarios in a virtual environment (VE). However, implementing VR-based empathetic design approach requires dealing with critical design questions, such as: (1) whether VR operators can develop empathy for unfamiliar user groups solely based on objective experience and (2) whether VR operators can utilize task-irrelevant contextual information in the VEs. To explore these issues, we designed an experiment based on two VEs with varying levels of detail that simulated the scenes viewed by people with red-green color vision deficiency (CVD). Participants were randomly assigned to either detail-rich or detail-simple VEs to complete neutral item-searching tasks. Results indicate that objective and neutral experience alone cannot elicit empathy towards users, and VR operating designers will utilize task-irrelevant contextual information.