Virtual reality and Cognitive Immersion, how do we reach a state of presence in a virtual world, what makes is believe we are really "there"? What are the implications?

1. Visiting Assistant Professor, VR First Lab Coordinator, State University of New York
Jolanda G. Tromp (PhD)
Oswego, NY, USA
Virtual Reality & Cognitive
Immersion

2. Presence and Immersion
Presence in VR: the effect people feel when they interact with and immerse
themselves in real or virtual environments (Sheridan, 1992).
Combination of:
Physical Immersion: a state of temporary sensory deprivation from real world
stimuli, due to wearing VR/AR gear with VR/AR stimuli from the Head-Mounted
Display, tracking suit, earphones, VR interaction gloves, which ends when the gear is
removed.
Cognitive Immersion: a mental state of absorption in a book, film, story or virtual
reality, creating a deep sense of being present in this non-physical world, which can
linger or be part of flash-backs after the cognitive immersion ends.

3. Theory of distal attribution (Weber, 1896)
The theory of distal attribution is helpful in explaining what happens on a cognitive
level when a person is immersed in a virtual world.
Distal attribution: the process of identifying experiential contents of our phenomenal
world as originating from the physical world.
Occurs through observation and critical reasoning about the effects of motor commands of
the self, on the external world, or phenomenological non-self.
Design takeaway: Only works when a person can observe a consistent / meaningful
relation between their motor commands and the feedback of the results of those motor
commands from the external world. See Diagram of VR Presence, next slide.

4. Presence
Sensorimotor interaction leading to a sense of presence (Loomis,
1992; Tromp, 1995).
NERVOUS SYSTEM WORLD
Model of
World &
Self
Effectors
Motor
Commands
Feedback

5. Feedback-loop leading to sense of presence
The model of the self and the world is built from experiencing the feedback of motor commands
on the external world.
This feedback - loop, when consistent, continuous and convincing, leads to a strong sense of
presence, and to the cognitive state of absorption; cognitive immersion.
It is used to anticipate the consequences of our activities based on that previous experience.
Updating the internal model leads to more accurate anticipation of action consequences and an
improved sense of presence and cognitive immersion.
Design takeaway: the feedback-loop has to be continuous, correctly updating our awareness of
the external world to our nervous system, which then leads to a high degree of experienced
presence. If it is not continuous or correct this will lead to a break in experienced presence.

6. Presence in the virtual world
Sensorimotor interaction in a virtual world via a virtual body (VB)
representation aka “avatar” (Tromp, 1995).
NERVOUS SYSTEM VIRTUAL WORLD
Effectors
Motor
Commands
Feedback
Virtual Body
Model of
World &
Self

7. Cognitive Immersion
Representation of sensorimotor interaction in a virtual world via a
virtual body representation, leading to a state of absorbed
attention and identification with the VB, during which a
temporary alteration of one’s usual self-awareness takes place
(Tromp, 1995).
NERVOUS SYSTEM VIRTUAL WORLD
Model of
World &
Self
Effectors
Motor
Commands
Feedback
Virtual Body
Model of
Virtual
World &
Virtual Self

8. New Internal Model of Virtual Self & Virtual World
If the VR feedback loop is consistent, continuous and meaningful, our
working memory will remain duly occupied and we will become more
and more focused on our virtual body and the virtual world, making our
real body and the real world temporarily recede from our immediate
awareness.
Design takeaway: users can not construct a new internal model of the
virtual self and virtual world, if the feedback loop is:
• too inconsistent,
• too complicated,
• too limited,
• too slow.

9. Absorbed Attention
While interacting with the VR (going through the feedback loop and subsequently
updating the internal model), the user enters a state of absorbed attention, cognitive
absorbtion (Agarwal & Karahana, 2000) or “flow” (Csikzentmihalyi, 1990).
Flow is described as the process of optimal experience, “the state in which
individuals are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter”
(Csikzentmihalyi, 1990).
Absorbed attention amplifies the experience of one part of reality, while other
aspects recede from awareness.
Design takeaway: When attention becomes highly centered on a specific part of
reality, it creates a vivid subjective reality.

10. VR as the Acid Test of the Nineties
During decentered, normal states of attention, the vivid subjective reality experienced
during episodes of absorbed attention can seem like:
• an altered state of consciousness, or expanded awareness,
• a peak experience,
• a mystic experience,
• an aesthetic experience, or
• something similar to a drug-induced experience.
In the early nineties this was referred to as the acid test of the nineties (Leary, in: Rid,
2016), a reference to the 1960ies electric kool-aid acid test of the pranksters (Wolfe,
1968).
In the 21st century the effect is referred to as “conversion of first contact”, describing the deeply felt
“wow”-effect that many people experience when they try VR for the first time.

11. Dissociative Experience
Disturbances in the feedback loop or intrusion of reality will interrupt
the state of cognitive immersion and absorbed attention.
It will force attention to shift back to a more normal uncentered state.
After an episode of absorbed concentration on the VR, there is a
marked discontinuity between the VB and the usual self, and the virtual
world and the real world.
Design takeaway: this break is called ‘dissociative experience’ and is
generally experienced as disruptive and often unpleasant.

12. Long-term effects of cognitive immersion and dissociation
While not a lot is known about the long-term effects of VR, cognitive immersion and the
dissociative experience, there has been research into the human cognitive states Absorption and
Dissociation:
• Absorption is a disposition or personality trait in which a person becomes absorbed in their mental
imagery, particularly fantasy. This trait has been found to correlate highly with a fantasy-prone
personality (Tellegen & Atkinson, 1974).
• Dissociation is the disconnection or lack of connection between things usually associated with each
other and the usual sense of self. In severe forms of dissociation, disconnection occurs in the usually
integrated functions of consciousness, memory, identity, or perception (retrieved from http://www.isst-
d.org/default.asp?contentID=76#diss).

13. Mild temporary dissociative “disorder”
There are five main ways in which the dissociation of psychological processes changes the way a person
experiences the external world, which some VR users may experience in a mild form:
1. Depersonalization: the sense of being detached from, or alienated from their bodies in ways which are
challenging to articulate.
2. Derealization: the sense of the world not being real, the world looks phony, foggy, far away or, as if
watching a movie.
3. Dissociative amnesia: the inability to recall important personal information, typically, micro-amnesias
where the discussion engaged in is not remembered, or the content of a conversation is forgotten from one
moment to the next.
4. Identity confusion: a sense of confusion about who a person is. An example of identity confusion is when a
person sometimes feels a thrill while engaged in an activity (e.g., reckless driving, drug use) which at other
times would be repugnant.
5. Identity alteration: the sense of being markedly different from another part of oneself, and often subtler
forms of identity alteration can be observed when a person uses different voice tones, range of language,
or facial expressions. These may be associated with a change in the patient’s world view.

14. Psychological implications
There are similarities to the state of mental absorption induced by being cognitively immersed in a virtual
world.
Especially after prolonged immersion there will be a noticeable transition, adapting back to the real
world.
It is a good cautious measure to set some time aside for the transition.
Anticipate you may be going through the dissasociative experience of coming out of the virtual body and
virtual world absorption, back into the real world.
Help others to prepare themselves for the effect.
Design transitions to be minimally distruptive.

15. Author details
By: Dr. Jolanda G. Tromp
Visiting Assistant Professor
State University of New York (SUNY) Oswego
Email: jolanda.tromp@oswego.edu
Work Webpage: https://www.oswego.edu/computer-science/content/jolanda-tromp
Personal Webpage: http://www.musicmonk.com/drtromp/cv/index.html
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jolanda-tromp-phd-socialvr-638b84a
Twitter: @jolandatromp
Researchgate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jolanda_Tromp
Github: https://github.com/jolandata
Recent interview: http://bit.ly/2dClCBy (SUNY VR First lab announcement)

16. Background Info
VR/AR/MR - UX/UI Expert
PhD in Social VR Design & Evaluation
Author of Code of Good Practice for the
design of VR Setups
Visiting Assistant Professor
Available for:
VR/AR/MR R&D and Project Development
Planning, Management & Research
From Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Lived in Canada for 3 m
Lived in United Kingdom for 10 y
Lived in Spain for 8 y
Lives in USA since August 2015
Speaks Dutch, English, German, Spanish and some
French

17. References
Tromp, J. G., (1995). Presence, Telepresence and Immersion: Embodiment and Interaction in Virtual Environments, in:
Proceedings of FIVE'95, Framework for Immersive Virtual Environments, Queen Mary and Westfield College, pp.39-51.
Tromp, J.G., (2001). Systematic Usability Design and Evaluation for Collaborative Virtual Environments, PhD Thesis,
School of Mechanical, Materials, Manufacturing Engineering and Management (Supervisor John Wilson), School of
Computer Science and Information Technology, (Supervisor Steve Benford), University of Nottingham, United Kingdom.
---------------------- Additional recommended reads:
Tromp, J., Bullock, A., Steed, A., Sadagic, A., Slater, M., Frecon, E., (1998). Small Group Behavior Experiments in the
COVEN Project, in: IEEE, Journal on Computer Graphics and Applications., Vol. 18, No. 6, November/December 1998, pp.
53-63.
Tromp, J.G., Steed, A., Wilson, J., (2003). Systematic Usability Evaluation and Design Issues for Collaborative Virtual
Environments, in: Journal Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments, MIT Press (June).
Check Reseachgate.com for more papers and full copies or contact me: jolanda.tromp@oswego.edu /
jolanda.tromp@gmail.com