Examining the Effects of HMDs/FSDs and Gender Differences on Cognitive Processing Ability and User Experience of the Stroop Task-Embedded Virtual Reality Driving System (STEVRDS)

Chen-Wei Chang; Mengtong Li; Shih-Ching Yeh; Yijing Chen; Albert Rizzo

doi:10.1109/ACCESS.2020.2966564

IEEE Access (Jan 2020)

Examining the Effects of HMDs/FSDs and Gender Differences on Cognitive Processing Ability and User Experience of the Stroop Task-Embedded Virtual Reality Driving System (STEVRDS)

Chen-Wei Chang,
Mengtong Li,
Shih-Ching Yeh,
Yijing Chen,
Albert Rizzo

Affiliations

Chen-Wei Chang: ORCiD; School of Journalism, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
Mengtong Li: ORCiD; Department of Psychology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
Shih-Ching Yeh: ORCiD; Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, National Central University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
Yijing Chen: ORCiD; School of Accountancy, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, Shanghai, China
Albert Rizzo: ORCiD; Institute for Creative Technologies, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2020.2966564
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 8
pp. 69566 – 69578

Abstract

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The advent of virtual reality technology has provided a new approach for assessing and training cognitive processing ability, with the design of simulations used to replicate real events in everyday lives. To better understand how head mounted displays/flat screen displays (HMDs/FSDs) and differences in the individuals who use them affect cognitive performance and the use of VR systems, our research group created the Stroop task-embedded virtual reality driving system (STEVRDS) and conducted a 2 × 2 between-group factorial design experiment among college students. The study examined the effects of HMDs and FSDs that differ in monovision/stereovision and field of view, the impact of gender (males vs. females) on users' performances in virtual driving and Stroop trials, and users' psychophysiological responses while using the system. The participants' subjective perceptions toward STEVRDS were also assessed to support the analyses/interpretations of cognitive performance, as well as provide empirical data relating to user experiences. The statistical analyses showed both main and interaction effects of HMDs/FSDs and gender on task performance, psychophysiological responses, and user evaluations of the system. The psychophysiological patterns exhibited during the use of STEVRDS further extended the findings. Overall, our results were comparable with cognitive phenomena reported in other studies/in real-life experiences or explained by logical reasoning, which suggests that the design/development of the STEVRDS is suitable for cognitive assessment/training. Practical implications are discussed for the application of HMDs and FSDs in evaluating and enhancing cognitive processing ability and the need for specific tailoring for male and female users.

Published in IEEE Access

ISSN: 2169-3536 (Online)
Publisher: IEEE
Country of publisher: United States
LCC subjects: Technology: Electrical engineering. Electronics. Nuclear engineering
Website: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/RecentIssue.jsp?punumber=6287639

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