Guiding Attention in VR: Comparing the Effect of Peripheral and Central Cues on Presence and Workload

Abstract

Virtual Reality (VR) applications increasingly require effective attention guidance techniques to aid users in focusing on the more relevant information within Immersive Virtual Environments (IVEs). While central visual cues have proven effective for directing attention, they often compromise on user immersion, and presence. This study investigated whether peripheral visual cues could serve as an alternative approach that maintains attention guidance effectiveness while also preserving the sense of presence. A controlled experiment was conducted with 24 participants using a custom-built VR application that tested four distinct visual cues: two central cues (Floating Text and Floating Arrow) and two peripheral cues (Edge Lighting and Swarm). Participants completed tasks across seven rounds for each cue type, with performance measured through reaction time, round time, and total errors made. Presence was assessed using the IGROUP Presence Questionnaire (IPQ), and workload was evaluated with the NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX). Participant subjective preferences were also collected through a post-experiment cue ranking questionnaire. Results revealed that cue effectiveness was primarily determined by design characteristics rather than its spatial positioning. Well designed cues achieved superior performance, regardless of central or peripheral positioning, with the Floating Arrow (central) and Swarm (peripheral) demonstrating comparably high effectiveness. In regards to presence levels, no statistically detectable differences were found between peripheral and central cue alternatives in any of the IPQ presence components. However, workload impacts varied significantly based on specific cue implementation rather than cue positioning category. Overall findings challenge the assumption that peripheral positioning inherently provides attention guidance advantages over central placement. Instead, thoughtful cue design appears to be the critical factor for achieving effective attention guidance while preserving presence in IVEs. These results provide valuable insights for VR interface designers, suggesting that development resources should prioritize the creation of intuitive and well-designed guidance elements, rather than focusing solely on spatial positioning factors.