The Influence of Virtual Body Ownership on the Extended Self: Presence as a Mediator and Empathy as a Covariate

Abstract

Belk's (1988, 2016) expanded self-concept suggests that our identity can encompass external objects, even virtual bodies. However, in virtual reality (VR), the role of sensorimotor-focused body ownership, presence, and empathy in shaping this extension remains unclear. In this study (N = 63), participants experienced two VR conditions, synchronous versus asynchronous avatar movement, and then completed measures of extended self, body ownership, presence, and empathy. We analyzed the data using bootstrapped paired-samples t tests, Pearson correlations, hierarchical regression, and structural equation modeling (SEM). Consistent with predictions, extended self scores were significantly higher following synchronous than asynchronous movement. Body ownership correlated with both presence and extended self, and SEM revealed a large direct effect of body ownership on extended self but no significant indirect effect via presence. Hierarchical regression showed that empathy did not predict extended self nor alter the ownership on the extended self link. These findings show that sensorimotor synchronization strongly drives self-expansion in VR environments, independent of individual differences in empathy, and that presence, although related to ownership, does not mediate this process in short-term exposures