Comparing first- and third-person perspective in a driving simulator

Bastiaan Sporrel*, Arjan Stuiver, Dick de Waard

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

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Abstract

This study explores the effects of changing the viewing perspective from a first-person perspective (a traditional viewing perspective in virtual reality) to a third-person perspective (a view from behind the vehicle, as used in many computer games) on driving behaviour, presence, and simulator sickness. In a driving simulator participants drove the same route twice, once for each perspective. Measures for driving behaviour were recorded during the rides, and both simulator sickness and feeling of presence were measured after each ride. Participants also evaluated the perspectives for the different situations they encountered. Results show that changing viewing perspectives leads to a lower feeling of presence, but does not result in lower simulator sickness scores. While lane control is similar between perspectives, participants drove faster and more to the left in the third-person perspective. The first-person perspective was evaluated more positively in all situations, and was preferred by almost all participants. These results indicate that a third-person perspective is unlikely to be an effective method for reducing simulator sickness in driving simulators, and the results show that the third-person perspective is not advised in driving simulator behavioural research.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)270-277
Number of pages8
JournalTransportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour
Volume102
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Apr-2024

Keywords

  • Driving behaviour
  • Driving simulator
  • Presence
  • Simulator sickness
  • Third-person perspective
  • Viewing perspective

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