Analysis of Mental Workload in Online Shopping: Are Augmented and Virtual Reality Consistent?

Abstract

A market research company (Nielsen) reported that consumers in the Asia-Pacific region have become the most active group in online shopping. Focusing on augmented reality (AR), which is one of three major techniques used to change the method of shopping in the future, this study used a mixed design to discuss the influences of the method of online shopping, user gender, cognitive style, product value, and sensory channel on mental workload in virtual reality (VR) and AR situations. The results showed that males’ mental workloads were significantly higher than females’. For males, high-value products’ mental workload was significantly higher than that of low-value products. In the VR situation, the visual mental workload of field-independent and field-dependent consumers showed a significant difference, but the difference was reduced under audio–visual conditions. In the AR situation, the visual mental workload of field-independent and field-dependent consumers showed a significant difference, but the difference increased under audio–visual conditions. This study provided a psychological study of online shopping with AR and VR technology with applications in the future. Based on the perspective of embodied cognition, AR online shopping may be potential focus of research and market application. For the future design of online shopping platforms and the updating of user experience, this study provides a reference.

Eye movements provide insight into individual differences in children's analogical reasoning strategies

“…Thus, it seems that the strongest driver of analogical reasoning performance is not necessarily the ability to disengage from attractive semantic or perceptual lure items, but rather focusing on the appropriate relations from the start. In support of this theory, recent work has shown that encouraging children to focus on the A and B items by displaying these items prior to displaying the other items can improve their analogical reasoning performance (Glady, French, & Thibaut, 2017). However, a more general question is, what are the cognitive skills that lead some children to spontaneously adopt this type of strategy?…”

Genetics of Tinnitus: Still in its Infancy

“…The majority of research investigations dissecting the genetics of tinnitus have taken the form of association studies that have revealed few borderline-significant results (Table 2 ). Recently, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) has identified potential metabolic pathways meriting further investigation (Gilles et al, 2017 ) and two twin-study cohorts have uncovered heritability estimates that provide pioneering insight into moderate genetic influences for tinnitus (Bogo et al, 2016 ; Maas et al, 2017 ). Although an excellent review discussing the genetics of tinnitus that touches upon phenotyping strategies and proposed pathophysiological mechanisms has been recently published (Lopez-Escamez et al, 2016 ), the present review exclusively emphasizes the genetic studies that have been published to date, discusses emerging data that suggests a complex or multifactorial genetic etiology, and presents an outlook for future research.…”

Measuring Consumer Engagement in the Brain to Online Interactive Shopping Environments

“…Augmented, virtual and mixed reality are becoming in demand as the technology progresses and augmented reality has been researched academically with regards to consumer engagement (Huang & Huang 2017). In Virtual Reality (VR) and traditional online shopping, males are more focused on practical characteristics with rational thinking whereas females are more focused on the entertainment and emotional catharsis (Zhao et al, 2017).…”

“…Neuro-imaging studies using fMRI scans reveals in real life humans who create versions of themselves in AR or use virtually created clothes on themselves feel as though that is their real body in AR otherwise known as a sense of body ownership (Kelley et al, 2002, Kircher et al, 2000, Turk et al 1991. Thus, the concept of embodied cognition to which a sense of 'real to virtual self' is created of AR online shopping is through the body's online experience and self (Zhao et al, 2017).In fact, self related interactive information is a trigger for the brain area responsible for the perception of self (Bargh 1982, Huang & Huang 2017.…”

“…A study measuring mental workload in online shopping comparing Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) found that males have a higher mental workload for expensive products in VR than females (Zhao et al, 2017). Studies of left-brain activity demonstrates how complete absorption when shopping online even with limitations of online interfaces, consumers are so intrinsically involved with this experience that they do not seem to care about external factors around them (Demangeot & Broderick 2007).…”