American scientists have concluded that the features of the body structure make women more susceptible to motion sickness when using virtual reality technologies. The results of the work are presented in the journal Experimental Brain Research.
With the development of virtual reality technologies, there is growing interest in their safety. Past research has shown that women are more likely than men to experience motion sickness symptoms, which are triggered by such devices. At the same time, it was found that in their case, the risk factor is not rotational, but linear-oscillatory movements (by analogy with a ship, not rocking, but a sharp rise or descent of the ship). The reasons for these sex differences are unknown.
In the new work, scientists from the University of Minnesota conducted two experiments in which 36 people (18 men and 18 women) took part. Before testing began, each completed a Simulatory Disorder Questionnaire (SSQ) and completed six tests on a strength platform. This made it possible to assess the features of motor skills and body position when performing various tasks. The volunteers then played two games using their Oculus Rift glasses.
The goal of the first game (Balancer Rift) was to guide an object through a virtual maze using tilted head movements for 15 minutes. On the test, two men and six women reported motion sickness. The second game was the virtual horror Affected, whose task was to reach the key point in the haunted house. The player's movements in this case were carried out by means of the controller, however, he could move his head for inspection.
In the second experiment, 56 percent of the participants experienced signs of motion sickness, including six men and 14 women. Moreover, the indicator correlated with the results of testing on a power platform: for example, volunteers who experienced malaise, in general, had a more unstable body position. According to scientists, anatomy can explain the sensitivity of women to "virtual" motion sickness: for example, with the same height, the legs of women are often shorter than those of men.
Commenting on the work of colleagues, psychologist Bas Rokers of the University of Wisconsin Madison expressed a different view of the reasons for this sensitivity. He believes that motion sickness may be based on a discrepancy between visual and kinesthetic stimuli: in particular, a stable horizon and a very mobile ship. And because women in general are more receptive to visual differences, their reactions to inappropriateness are sharper.
Denis Strigun
