Virtual Reality Intervention Reduces Dietary Footprint: Implications for Environmental Communication in the Metaverse

We developed and tested a Virtual Reality (VR) intervention that allowed users (1) to visualize the consequences of food behavior and (2) to revise their food choices and see how this would alter future climate scenarios. In this pre-registered study, using a 2x2 design, participants experienced intervention with or without normative feedback and via desktop PC or head-mounted display. The intervention advertised online was self-administered by 122 VR users residing in the USA. We observed a moderate-large decline in dietary carbon footprint one week after the intervention regardless of experimental condition (d = -0.63). This change was mediated by increased intentions, self-efficacy, risk perception, and emotional reactions. In addition, normative feedback increased self-efficacy, and changes in response efficacy separately predicted pro-environmental donations. Preliminary findings indicate that psychologically informed VR interventions might promote pro-environmental behavior in VR users and therefore the Metaverse could be a suitable platform for environmental communication.