Presence is Key: Unlocking Performance Benefits of Immersive Virtual Reality

Abstract

High immersion in virtual reality is often hypothesized to improve learning and memory. This immersion benefit is frequently attributed to presence, the user's feeling of being present inside the computer-generated environment. Obtaining learning gains due to high immersion may however be difficult, as is evidenced by the null results of multiple studies in this area. In the current study we investigated the role of presence in low- and high-immersion virtual reality settings. No differences in performance in object location and spatial memory were found between low- and high-immersive conditions. Yet, when considering self-report measures of presence, performance improvements in the high immersive condition did become apparent. The finding of the importance to consider the role of presence in virtual reality highlights the complexity of immersion effects in simulated environments.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Proceedings of the 40th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society, CogSci 2018
Publisher	The Cognitive Science Society
Pages	1602-1607
Number of pages	6
ISBN (Electronic)	9780991196784
Publication status	Published - Jul 2018
Externally published	Yes
Event	40th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society: Changing Minds, CogSci 2018 - Madison, United States Duration: 25 Jul 2018 → 28 Jul 2018 Conference number: 40

Conference

Conference	40th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society: Changing Minds, CogSci 2018
Abbreviated title	CogScie 2018
Country/Territory	United States
City	Madison
Period	25/07/18 → 28/07/18

Keywords

Immersion
Performance
Presence
Virtual Reality (VR)

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https://mindmodeling.org/cogsci2018/papers/0308/index.html

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@inproceedings{7dec783773f74f25add7568674e7dd5f,

title = "Presence is Key: Unlocking Performance Benefits of Immersive Virtual Reality",

abstract = "High immersion in virtual reality is often hypothesized to improve learning and memory. This immersion benefit is frequently attributed to presence, the user's feeling of being present inside the computer-generated environment. Obtaining learning gains due to high immersion may however be difficult, as is evidenced by the null results of multiple studies in this area. In the current study we investigated the role of presence in low- and high-immersion virtual reality settings. No differences in performance in object location and spatial memory were found between low- and high-immersive conditions. Yet, when considering self-report measures of presence, performance improvements in the high immersive condition did become apparent. The finding of the importance to consider the role of presence in virtual reality highlights the complexity of immersion effects in simulated environments.",

keywords = "Immersion, Performance, Presence, Virtual Reality (VR)",

author = "{de Back}, {Tycho T.} and {van Hoef}, Rens and Tinga, {Angelica M.} and Louwerse, {Max M.}",

note = "Funding Information: The current research is partially funded by the PACCAR foundation and DAF Trucks and on a grant to the last author by the European Union, OP Zuid, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Province of Noord-Brabant and the municipalities of Tilburg and Gilze Rijen. The usual exculpations apply. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2018 Proceedings of the 40th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society, CogSci 2018. All rights reserved.; 40th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society: Changing Minds, CogSci 2018, CogScie 2018 ; Conference date: 25-07-2018 Through 28-07-2018",

year = "2018",

month = jul,

language = "English",

pages = "1602--1607",

booktitle = "Proceedings of the 40th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society, CogSci 2018",

publisher = "The Cognitive Science Society",

}

de Back, TT, van Hoef, R, Tinga, AM & Louwerse, MM 2018, Presence is Key: Unlocking Performance Benefits of Immersive Virtual Reality. in Proceedings of the 40th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society, CogSci 2018. The Cognitive Science Society, pp. 1602-1607, 40th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society: Changing Minds, CogSci 2018, Madison, Wisconsin, United States, 25/07/18. <https://mindmodeling.org/cogsci2018/papers/0308/index.html>

Presence is Key: Unlocking Performance Benefits of Immersive Virtual Reality. / de Back, Tycho T.; van Hoef, Rens; Tinga, Angelica M. et al.
Proceedings of the 40th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society, CogSci 2018. The Cognitive Science Society, 2018. p. 1602-1607.

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › Academic › peer-review

TY - GEN

T1 - Presence is Key

T2 - 40th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society: Changing Minds, CogSci 2018

AU - de Back, Tycho T.

AU - van Hoef, Rens

AU - Tinga, Angelica M.

AU - Louwerse, Max M.

N1 - Conference code: 40

PY - 2018/7

Y1 - 2018/7

N2 - High immersion in virtual reality is often hypothesized to improve learning and memory. This immersion benefit is frequently attributed to presence, the user's feeling of being present inside the computer-generated environment. Obtaining learning gains due to high immersion may however be difficult, as is evidenced by the null results of multiple studies in this area. In the current study we investigated the role of presence in low- and high-immersion virtual reality settings. No differences in performance in object location and spatial memory were found between low- and high-immersive conditions. Yet, when considering self-report measures of presence, performance improvements in the high immersive condition did become apparent. The finding of the importance to consider the role of presence in virtual reality highlights the complexity of immersion effects in simulated environments.

AB - High immersion in virtual reality is often hypothesized to improve learning and memory. This immersion benefit is frequently attributed to presence, the user's feeling of being present inside the computer-generated environment. Obtaining learning gains due to high immersion may however be difficult, as is evidenced by the null results of multiple studies in this area. In the current study we investigated the role of presence in low- and high-immersion virtual reality settings. No differences in performance in object location and spatial memory were found between low- and high-immersive conditions. Yet, when considering self-report measures of presence, performance improvements in the high immersive condition did become apparent. The finding of the importance to consider the role of presence in virtual reality highlights the complexity of immersion effects in simulated environments.

KW - Immersion

KW - Performance

KW - Presence

KW - Virtual Reality (VR)

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UR - https://research.tilburguniversity.edu/en/publications/76c639ad-862d-4a58-bfef-f410c4efb21a

M3 - Conference contribution

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EP - 1607

BT - Proceedings of the 40th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society, CogSci 2018

PB - The Cognitive Science Society

Y2 - 25 July 2018 through 28 July 2018

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