Presence: Where Are We Now?
Michael Jay Singer, Bob G. Witmer · International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction · 1997
The efficacy of virtual environments (VE) has often been linked to the sense of presence reported by users. To test this premise, a reliable and valid measure of presence must be developed. That measure may be used to discover the relationship between presence and performance, or other measures. Presence is the subjective experience of being in a place or environment. It is a perceptual flow requiring directed attention and is based in the interaction of sensory stimulation, environmental factors, and internal tendencies. We developed a Presence Questionnaire (PQ) for measuring presence in virtual environments, and an Immersive Tendencies Questionnaire (ITQ) measuring the degree of attention to or involvement in activities. Our research indicates that the PQ and ITQ are internally consistent measures with high reliability, there is a weak but consistent positive relation between presence and VE task performance, immersive tendencies are related to presence, and greater simulator sickness is related to less presence. Our investigations suggest that presence, as measured by the PQ, is a valid construct.