Evaluating empathic responses to bimodal realism in emotionally expressive virtual humans: An eye-tracking and facial electromyography study

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Darragh Higgins, Benjamin R. Cowan, Rachel McDonnell

Published: 2025, Last Modified: 06 Nov 2025Int. J. Hum. Comput. Stud. 2025EveryoneRevisionsBibTeXCC BY-SA 4.0
Abstract: Highlights•Significant influence of voice and appearance realism on reported empathic responses.•Combined appearance realism, voice realism and emotional valence associated with zygomaticus major activation.•Significantly increased activation of zygomaticus major and corrugator supercilii specific to emotional valence.•Eye fixations on face areas increase under positive valence.•Trait empathy correlates with greater zygomaticus major activity for conditions of mismatched realism.