The use of virtual environments based on a modification of the computer game Quake III Arena® in psychological experimenting

The Visually Induced Motion Sickness Susceptibility Questionnaire (VIMSSQ): Estimating Individual Susceptibility to Motion Sickness-Like Symptoms When Using Visual Devices

OBJECTIVE

Two studies were conducted to develop and validate a questionnaire to estimate individual susceptibility to visually induced motion sickness (VIMS).

BACKGROUND

VIMS is a common side-effect when watching dynamic visual content from various sources, such as virtual reality, movie theaters, or smartphones. A reliable questionnaire predicting individual susceptibility to VIMS is currently missing. The aim was to fill this gap by introducing the Visually Induced Motion Sickness Susceptibility Questionnaire (VIMSSQ).

METHODS

A survey and an experimental study were conducted. Survey: The VIMSSQ investigated the frequency of nausea, headache, dizziness, fatigue, and eyestrain when using different visual devices. Data were collected from a survey of 322 participants for the VIMSSQ and other related phenomena such as migraine. Experimental study: 23 participants were exposed to a VIMS-inducing visual stimulus. Participants filled out the VIMSSQ together with other questionnaires and rated their level of VIMS using the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ).

RESULTS

Survey: The most prominent symptom when using visual devices was eyestrain, and females reported more VIMS than males. A one-factor solution with good scale reliability was found for the VIMSSQ. Experimental study: Regression analyses suggested that the VIMSSQ can be useful in predicting VIMS (R² = .34) as measured by the SSQ, particularly when combined with questions pertaining to the tendency to avoid visual displays and experience syncope (R² = .59).

CONCLUSION

We generated normative data for the VIMSSQ and demonstrated its validity.

APPLICATION

The VIMSSQ can become a valuable tool to estimate one's susceptibility to VIMS based on self-reports.

Impact of the motion and visual complexity of the background on players' performance in video game-like displays

The visual interfaces of virtual environments such as video games often show scenes where objects are superimposed on a moving background. Three experiments were designed to better understand the impact of the complexity and/or overall motion of two types of visual backgrounds often used in video games on the detection and use of superimposed, stationary items. The impact of background complexity and motion was assessed during two typical video game tasks: a relatively complex visual search task and a classic, less demanding shooting task. Background motion impaired participants' performance only when they performed the shooting game task, and only when the simplest of the two backgrounds was used. In contrast, and independently of background motion, performance on both tasks was impaired when the complexity of the background increased. Eye movement recordings demonstrated that most of the findings reflected the impact of low-level features of the two backgrounds on gaze control.

Current Issues in Competence Modeling and Assessment

The goals of education and qualification in modern industrial societies can no longer be described by a fixed set of specialized skills that are transferable from one generation to the next. Nowadays, knowledge must be applicable to different, new, and complex situations and contexts. It is against this background that the concept of competence has attracted increased research attention. Competencies are conceptualized as complex ability constructs that are context-specific, trainable, and closely related to real life. The theoretical modeling of competencies, their assessment, and the usage of assessment results in practice present new challenges for psychological and educational research. This article reviews current issues in competence modeling, outlining research questions and the current state of research, and identifying the need for more interdisciplinary research. Finally, a research program recently initiated by the German Research Foundation (DFG) to address these questions and demands is presented.