Title: Measuring Cognitive Conflict in Virtual Reality with Feedback-Related Negativity,
Abstract: As virtual reality (VR) emerges as a mainstream platform, designers have
started to experiment new interaction techniques to enhance the user
experience. This is a challenging task because designers not only strive to
provide designs with good performance but also carefully ensure not to disrupt
users' immersive experience. There is a dire need for a new evaluation tool
that extends beyond traditional quantitative measurements to assist designers
in the design process. We propose an EEG-based experiment framework that
evaluates interaction techniques in VR by measuring intentionally elicited
cognitive conflict. Through the analysis of the feedback-related negativity
(FRN) as well as other quantitative measurements, this framework allows
designers to evaluate the effect of the variables of interest. We studied the
framework by applying it to the fundamental task of 3D object selection using
direct 3D input, i.e. tracked hand in VR. The cognitive conflict is
intentionally elicited by manipulating the selection radius of the target
object. Our first behavior experiment validated the framework in line with the
findings of conflict-induced behavior adjustments like those reported in other
classical psychology experiment paradigms. Our second EEG-based experiment
examines the effect of the appearance of virtual hands. We found that the
amplitude of FRN correlates with the level of realism of the virtual hands,
which concurs with the Uncanny Valley theory.