Cognitive Load as a Hidden Cost of Empathy: Tradeoffs in Using VR for Inclusive Design

Virtual reality (VR) is used to bridge the “empathy gap” in inclusive design, but whether emotionally evocative simulations improve design outcomes remains unclear. We conducted a between-subjects experiment comparing passive video with non-emotional and emotional interactive VR simulations of low-vision mobility challenges, informed by interviews and co-design with low-vision participants. Emotional intensity was manipulated via non-player-character feedback while task structure and task-relevant information were held constant. We measured empathy change and assessed design ideas by alignment with user-prioritized needs. Both VR conditions increased empathy relative to video, but emotional VR produced no additional measurable gain, whereas non-emotional VR produced stronger user-need-aligned ideation than both other conditions. Drawing on cognitive load theory, we propose that emotionally charged cues may introduce extraneous demands during ideation, offering a working hypothesis for this divergence. Our work provides guidelines for calibrating VR emotional intensity to balance empathic engagement and design ideation.