Presence Questionnaires in Driving Simulation

Abstract Automotive research often takes place in driving simulators, where a high sense of feeling present in the virtual traffic situation has been hypothesized to foster a realistic driving behavior. Presence in driving simulators has been investigated using subjective questionnaires, but their validity for application in driving simulators has not yet been verified. In a first approach, we aimed at critically investigating whether presence questionnaires can or cannot be applied in driving simulation. Therefore, we conducted a within-subjects experiment with N=50 participants comparing presence between a low- and a high-fidelity simulator, using two commonly used questionnaires: the Igroup Presence Questionnaire (IPQ) and the Slater-Usoh-Steed (SUS*) presence questionnaire. The wording of the SUS* questionnaire has been adopted for use in driving simulation prior to its use in the study. Results show a strong correlation between the adapted SUS* questionnaire and the IPQ. Both questionnaires reflected a significant difference in presence between the low-fidelity and the high-fidelity simulator. The reliability of both questionnaires was acceptable (Cronbach's alpha > .7). The present results are promising in that presence questionnaires, including in particular the adapted SUS* and the IPQ, can be used in driving simulation. The validity of the adapted SUS* questionnaire should be further investigated.