Examining the Role of Visual Attention in Determining Presence: A Novel Application of Feature Integration Theory to Immersive Virtual Reality

Abstract

Abstract Immersive virtual reality (IVR) has the potential to be an effective and easily disseminable method for deploying a variety of interventions to promote health, wellbeing, and physical and everyday functioning. The psychological construct of presence, often described as the “sense of being there,” is considered a core aspect of the technology, and consequently a major facilitator of successful IVR experiences and interventions. While prior research has explored how individual difference factors and technology characteristics impact presence, relatively less is known about the effect of the cognitive demands of the virtual experience itself. Based on previous empirical studies and theories, attention may play an important role in establishing IVR presence. To directly test this idea, we manipulated attention to the virtual environment, with manipulations inspired by classic conceptualizations of visual attention and search derived from feature integration theory. Participants engaged in IVR foraging tasks in which they navigated the environment to “catch” different animals. These tasks varied in the degree to which attention was necessary to detect and locate the target animal. Despite initial pilot data and concurrent behavioral evidence that the two scenarios varied substantially and significantly in attentional demands, no effect of presence was observed. Results suggest that different levels of visual attention to elements of the virtual environment may not be an important determinant of IVR presence.