A Modified Secondary Task Reaction Time Paradigm for Research on Breaks in Presence

Breaks in presence are considered a promising approach to investigate events where users are pulled out of their virtual experiences. In this paper, we argue that this methodology may also provide insights into the cognitive processes behind the presence experience. To this end, we combined breaks in presence with a modified version of the secondary task reaction times paradigm and psychophysiological measures to tap into the attentional processes behind presence experiences. 69 participants played a modified video game, during which they had to react to sounds that were either part of the story or unrelated (breaks in presence) as a secondary task. We measured their reaction times to both sound types, skin conductance responses and heart rate variability. Participants reacted equally fast to virtual and BIP-eliciting stimuli. Both types of stimuli elicit orienting responses with our virtual stimulus leading to stronger responses and habitualization. Avenues for future research are discussed.