Embedded Files
by Lee Hayes
Nudging refers to influencing human behavior towards predictable and intended outcomes. In the digital environment, nudging involves using UI design elements to affect the choices users make in digital environments. While there are many studies on digital nudging on more well understood technology like laptops or phones, not as much research has explored nudging in virtual environments. The following are a few studies on nudging in virtual environments, which could serve as inspiration for UI in VR environments, object layout and future studies.
This study explores something called MR nudging, which leverages avoidance behaviors towards colliding with Mixed Reality (MR) objects. In the study, participants are put into a space where they can choose a shortcut that requires them to pass through an MR object. The objects vary from humanoid figures to objects and opacities of 100% or 70%. More than half of the participants chose to not pass through the MR object, resulting in participants travelling longer distances. The human type of opaque MR objects most frequently triggered avoidance in participants. Opaque human figures were more likely to be avoided than semi-transparent human figures.
Pre-study task questionnaires
Participants were asked to complete a Virtual Reality Sickness Questionnaire (VRSQ) , and a Big Five Inventory-2-Extra Short (BFI-2-XS). The VRSQ was selected to specifically assess motion sickness, and the BFI-2-XS was chosen to assess participant personalities. The BFI-2-XS was used to find correlations between personality and rate of passing through MR objects. The Big Five personality domains are (extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, negative emotionality, and open-mindedness).
The following are results to the original questionnaire
Device
HTC Vive XR Elite HMD and two HTC Vive XR Elite controllers
Study Design
The study uses a between-participants design. Participants were placed in a virtual environment and required to push buttons around a room in a specific order. Participants could take shortcuts by walking through objects which were at either 100% or 70% opacity. The study also featured four different 4m x 4m rooms with different MR object layouts. Rooms 1-3 were designed so that they had a different incentive to pass through walls, and the higher room number would require a longer distance to travel in order to complete the task. For example, room one encourages participants to put their arms through a wall, and room three encourages participants to fully pass through inner walls.This was designed to test the incentive to walk through walls and discomfort this may have caused resulting in increased distances travelled in rooms 1-3. Room 4 forces participants to walk through a wall to complete the task, to compel participants who avoided walking through walls in rooms 1-3 to do so.
Study Result Summary
The study found that MR objects in a virtual environment significantly influence participant movement paths. In the study, 54% (26 of 48) participants opted not to pass through MR objects, and in room three specifically 58% (28 of 48) travelled an additional 92 m on average. Passing through rate was also found to be influenced by object opacity, with participants more willing to pass through semi-transparent objects and figures.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse