"Never The Same": Systematic Analysis of the Methodological Issues in the Presence Studies That Employ Questionnaires
Eugene Kukshinov, Joseph Tu, Kata Szita, Kaushall Senthil Nathan, Lennart E. Nacke · 2024
Presence is a psychological state that is usually measured via questionnaires. Many presence researchers assume self-report questionnaires are standardized. However, we do not know how reliable they are. This knowledge gap impacts the accuracy and validity of data collected through these questionnaires. Reliable and accurate data collection is crucial to trust findings in presence research. Inaccurate or unreliable data could lead to incorrect conclusions. This impacts theoretical understanding and practical applications. To address this, we conducted a comprehensive systematic review of 100 empirical quantitative presence studies. Our goal was to uncover the underlying issues with these self-report questionnaires. So, we explored the employment of these questionnaires and analyzed the specific reasons for measuring presence. We show patterns and inconsistencies in the current methodologies, as presence questionnaires are frequently utilized in a non-standardised manner. We will propose well-grounded improvements and constructive approaches based on our findings. These will improve the validity and effectiveness of these questionnaires and lead to more consistent and replicable results in presence research.