Sensory Conflict: Effects on the Perceived Onset of Motion and Cybersickness in Virtual Reality
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Date
2023-01-03
Authors
Chung, William
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Waterloo
Abstract
The perception of self-motion involves the integration of multisensory information, however
there are scenarios in which the sensory feedback we receive from these different sources
can conflict with one another. For example, when inside the cabin of a ship at sea or playing
a game in virtual reality (VR), sensory signals for self-motion from the visual and
vestibular systems may not be congruent. It has been well documented that such scenarios
are associated with feelings of discomfort and alterations in our perception of motion, but
the mechanisms leading to these perceptual consequences remain uncertain. The goal of
this dissertation is to explore the effect of sensory conflict between vestibular and visual
signals on the perception of self-motion and implications for cybersickness. Chapter Two
examined the effect of sensory conflict on the perceived timing of a passive whole-body
rotation paired with both congruent and incongruent visual feedback using VR. It was
found that the visual signal only influenced the perception of movement onset when the
direction of the visual motion did not match the expected equal and opposite response
relative to physical rotation. In Chapter Three, the effect of sensory conflict between visual,
vestibular and body cues on the perceived timing of visual motion was explored.
The results revealed that changing the orientation of the body relative to gravity to dissociate
the relationship between vestibular and body cues of upright delays the perceived
onset of visual yaw rotation in VR by an additional 30ms compared to an upright posture.
Lastly, Chapter Four investigated the relationship between sensory conflict and sensory
reweighting through measures of cybersickness and sensory perception after exposure to
VR gameplay. The results indicated that the perception of subjective vertical was significantly
influenced by an intense VR experience and that sensory reweighting may play a
role in this effect, along with providing a potential explanation for individual differences for
cybersickness severity. Altogether, this dissertation highlights some of the perceptual consequences
of sensory conflict between vestibular and visual signals and provides insights for
the potential mechanisms that determine the perception of self-motion and cybersickness
in VR.