A Survey On Measuring Presence in Mixed Reality

Title of the Paper

A Survey On Measuring Presence in Mixed Reality

Bibliographic Information

• Subject Area: Measurement and evaluation of presence in Mixed Reality (MR).
• Keywords: Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Mixed Reality, Extended Reality, Presence, Spatial Presence, Social Presence, Co-presence, Object Presence, Avatar Presence

Research Background and Issues

• Existing Problems or Challenges

  • Presence is a core aspect of Virtual Reality experiences, but it has also been increasingly used to evaluate user experiences in Mixed Reality. However, there is currently a lack of consensus in the MR field, leading to questions about the applicability and reliability of existing questionnaires and measurement tools.
  • The authors observed that some studies employed tools that had not been validated in the MR domain or designed custom questionnaires, which limits the comparability of results and may lead to replication crises.

• Importance

  • Mixed Reality has a wide range of applications, including learning and training environments, collaborative tasks, etc. Evaluating its effectiveness relies on presence as a key metric. Therefore, establishing standardized methods for measuring presence in this field is of significant importance.

• Research Motivation and Related Work

  • Drawing on existing literature definitions and research models (such as Skarbez et al.'s presence formula and Latoschik and Wienrich's derivation of the XR experience model), the authors were inspired to adopt empirical methods to investigate measurement practices for presence in Mixed Reality.

Solution

• Methods and Innovations

  • This study conducts a systematic literature review analyzing 320 studies on presence in Mixed Reality. These studies encompass various measurement methods, including questionnaires, interviews, behavioral data observation, physiological and neuroimaging approaches.
  • The innovation lies in proposing improvements to current research practices and developing an interactive literature tool, making data publicly available to enhance transparency and support future research.

• Implementation Steps and Techniques

  • Search Strategy: Conducted keyword searches in databases like Google Scholar and Scopus, supplemented by citation searches for specific literature.
  • Screening and Analysis: Filtered relevant studies based on criteria such as experimental environment and validity of measurement tools, excluding non-English studies or those without explicit presence measurement.
  • Findings Summary: Systematically organized different types of presence (e.g., spatial presence, social presence) and the current usage of related measurement tools.

Research Outcomes

• Specific Findings

  • Presence Concepts: Social presence, co-presence, and spatial presence are the most frequently studied types, dominating the literature.
  • Measurement Methods: Questionnaires are the most commonly used tools for measuring presence, but many are adapted from the VR domain and lack validation for MR. Custom questionnaires, while addressing some gaps, generally lack verification.
  • Recommended Tools: Advocates avoiding non-validated questionnaires and emphasizes the importance of data transparency and tool accessibility.

• Comparison with Existing Solutions

  • The study highlights differences between MR and VR presence, suggesting that existing VR measurement tools may not be fully applicable to MR. Unlike studies solely reliant on laboratory research, this work provides empirical data across diverse domains and open tools.

• Experimental or Evaluation Results

  • Results indicate that using validated measurement tools improves research quality. Additionally, combining validated tools with custom-designed reference tools enhances data transparency.

• Limitations and Future Directions

  • Limitations: The study does not directly evaluate the quality of the surveyed research, and some studies may have been missed due to keyword omissions.
  • Future Directions: Proposes the development of standardized presence measurement tools for Mixed Reality and further exploration of presence components related to "plausibility" and "engagement."