A Comparative Study of Sense of Presence of Traditional Virtual Reality and Immersive Environments

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3127/ajis.v20i0.1168

Keywords:

Sense of presence, Immersive environments, Virtual reality

Abstract

User experience is a critical component in the development of virtual environment systems and applications. To create an effective and efficient user experience for virtual environment systems, it is imperative to conduct empirical studies to explore factors that contribute to a heightened sense of presence, or immersion, for users, who increasingly demand an experience in a virtual environment that seems as real as possible. The primary hypothesis of this study is that participants will experience higher levels of presence in an Immersive Visualization Environment (IVE) than in a Traditional Virtual Reality Environment (TVRE). The empirical methodology consists of two different experiments designed, developed, and implemented using seventy participants. A simulated virtual airplane scenario was created and conducted for each participant. After completion of each simulation session, each participant was given a questionnaire that measured the participant’s sense of presence in either virtual or real environments. Analysis of the collected data indicated that there was a statistically significant difference in the level of presence experienced by participants between the TVRE and IVE systems. The primary conclusion is that participants experienced a higher sense of presence in the IVE experiment when compared with the TVRE experiment, indicating significantly more natural and richer user experience through the IVE system’s interface.

Author Biographies

Max M. North, Visualization and Simulation Research Center - Kennesaw State University

Dr. Max North is a tenured Professor of Management Information Systems in the Information Systems Department, Kennesaw State University. He has been teaching, conducting research and providing community service for Computer Science and Information Systems departments at higher education institutions for more than twenty years. He holds an associate degree in Accounting, a bachelor's degree in Economic Management, a master's degree in Computer Science with a concentration in Management Information Systems and a Ph.D. in Psychology with concentration in Cognitive and Behavior Sciences. Dr. North has been successfully involved in the research of Human-Computer Interaction/Interface; Information Security and Ethics Awareness; and Virtual Reality Technology. Dr. North is the director of Visualization and Simulation Research Center. Additionally, Dr. North has several published books, book chapters, and a number of technical referred scholarly articles. He has served as principal/co-principal investigator on a number of research grants sponsored by the Boeing Company, the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, the National Science Foundation, and the National Security Agency. Dr. North's major contribution to the scientific community is his discovery and continuous research activities in the innovative area of virtual reality technology, which has received international attention and coverage in the scientific community and popular media.

Sarah M. North, Kennesaw State University

Dr. Sarah M. North is a faculty member of Computer Science Department at Kennesaw State University. Dr. North has been teaching, conducting research, and providing community service in Computing for over 27 years at higher education institutions. Dr. North’s graduate work is in Computer Science with a concentration in programming Languages, a doctorate degree in educational technology & leadership and administration with concentration in information cyber technology. Dr. North has been successfully involved in the research in the areas of information security education, human-computer interaction and cognitive science. Additionally, Dr. North has several book chapters; and a number of technical referred scholarly articles nationally and internationally. She also served as principal/co-principal investigator on a number of research grants sponsored by the Boeing Company, National Science Foundation, and National Security Agency.

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Published

2016-02-24

How to Cite

North, M. M., & North, S. M. (2016). A Comparative Study of Sense of Presence of Traditional Virtual Reality and Immersive Environments. Australasian Journal of Information Systems, 20. https://doi.org/10.3127/ajis.v20i0.1168

Issue

Section

Research Articles