A unified conceptual model of immersive experience in extended reality

Abstract

The term "immersion" is frequently used to describe and evaluate technologies within the field of extended reality (XR), which encompasses virtual, augmented, and mixed reality. Over the past few decades, extensive research has been conducted on immersion. However, there remains a lack of consistency in how the term is defined and applied in the literature. Additionally, there is no clear and consistent conceptual hierarchy of related terms across different measurement models. To address these issues, this paper explores the multidimensionality of immersion, as well as associated concepts such as presence and involvement. From this, a unified conceptual model of immersive experience is proposed for future studies in XR. The model defines physical presence, social presence, self presence and involvement as the core dimensions of an immersive experience, which arise from sensorimotor, task/motor and narrative engagement. Plausibility, interactivity, and interestingness are identified as key properties of immersive systems and content that fascilitate engagement, each of which is influenced by subjective factors: internal reference, skills/knowledge and personal preference, respectively. This model provides a comprensive framework for researchers to measure immersive experiences more consistently and build a coherent body of research in XR.