Eye movement & physiological response in virtual reality

Investigating how different visual settings in VR influence eye movements and physiological responses to improve VR experiences and physiological modulation.

• Sensor setup (30 minutes).
• Phase 1 (30 minutes): Watch a series of film clips with varying emotional content to establish physiological baselines.
• Phase 2 (30 minutes): Complete a 3D puzzle-building task in VR using a Meta Quest 3 headset while experiencing different visual settings.
• Throughout both phases, you'll wear non-invasive sensors to monitor your heart rate and skin response, plus complete brief questionnaires about your experience.
• The study will be conducted at Level 1 of the Auckland Bioengineering Institute.
  

You may participate if you:

• Are aged between 18 years or older
• Have normal or corrected-to-normal vision with contact lenses (eyeglasses can not be used in the study)
• Have a proficient understanding of the English language
• Have no known allergic reactions to adhesive materials, metals (e.g., nickel, silver, silver chloride, or stainless steel), or latex
• Have no known cardiac problems that could potentially impact heart activity
• Have no neurological disorders
• Have no history of photosensitive epilepsy, vestibular disorders, or severe motion sickness
• Are comfortable viewing emotionally evocative video content
• Are not currently taking any medications that affect autonomic nervous system functions

$20 Westfield voucher

If you would like to know more about this study or to apply, we would love to hear from you:

Andreia Valente
PhD Researcher | Empathic Computing Lab
University of Auckland, New Zealand
Email: aval430@aucklanduni.ac.nz

Recruitment ends: 21 August 2025