Individual differences in user experience of head mounted displays: personality and visuo-spatial attention effects
Mark Turner, Steve Love · 2003
This study examines the relationships between different psychological factors that may influence the ease of use of head-mounted display systems. Participants were exposed to a standard virtual display stimulus and completed a battery of spatial ability, personality and sickness history assessments. Differences in assessment scores were evaluated as a function of individual spatial attention during immersion, self-reported difficulty of the virtual task, sense of presence and the occurrence of negative side-effects. Findings indicated clear differences existed between users in spatial attention performance as a function of personality type (neuroticism) and as a function of the symptoms of sickness experienced, although the influence of individual spatial ability on attentional performance was more complex. Whilst recent advances in the technology used to produce virtual environments have been impressive, it is argued that for virtual reality systems to become a practical reality for everyday service users, the psychological aspects required for effective use need to be fully examined.