[Reading this new story in PsyPost about a study demonstrating interesting effects of the illusion of having an opposite-sex body led me to the lead author’s earlier study of the effects of seeming to switch bodies with a friend. That study is nicely presented in a link-filled Vice story from August 2020 that reviews embodied cognition research based on these kinds of presence illusions. –Matthew]
Experiencing the illusion of having an opposite-sex body in virtual reality can shift aspects of gender identity
By Beth Ellwood
December 23, 2020
A new study published in Scientific Reports offers insight into how the perception of one’s body influences one’s sense of gender identity. An experiment involving the illusion of owning an opposite-sex body led people to embrace a more equal identification with both genders.
While it appears that the way a person perceives their body is linked to their gender identity, it has yet to be established exactly how the two are connected.… read more. “Experiencing the illusion of having an opposite-sex body in VR can shift aspects of gender identity”