Field Dependence as a Predictor of Cybersickness

One of the primary barriers to the widespread adoption of virtual reality (VR) is cybersickness, a form of visually-induced motion sickness caused by the mismatch between visual and vestibular cues. Our study investigates the role of field-dependence on cybersickness susceptibility. We used a virtual reality roller coaster simulation to induce sickness and measured the time for participant dropout. Field dependence was measured using the Group Embedded Figure test and two variations of the Rod and Frame test. A survival analysis indicated that field dependence can be an effective measure of individual differences in cybersickness. Field-dependent individuals have a 37 % increased risk of dropping out and females showed an increased risk of 126 %. We did not find a significant effect from age or sleep quality. The study also confirms that the dropout rates paradigm can effectively identify susceptibility to cybersickness and may be preferable to questionnaires. Psychological tests that measure these variables may eventually blend seamlessly in virtual environments and allow for greater prediction of cybersickness susceptibility.