The Impact of Environment Design Bias on Working Memory

Area of Science:

• Human-Computer Interaction
• Cognitive Psychology
• Virtual Reality Research

Background:

• Extended Reality (XR) shows gender disparities, with women reporting lower presence and higher motion sickness.
• Underrepresentation of women in XR research may introduce design biases, affecting system inclusivity and accuracy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how subtle virtual environment design differences affect women's cognitive performance in XR.
• To assess the impact of stereotypical versus neutral STEM environments on cognitive task performance.
• To evaluate the potential of positive female self-avatars to mitigate negative environmental effects.

Main Methods:

• Forty non-male participants completed the Stroop Interference Task in two virtual classrooms: neutral and stereotypically STEM-themed.
• Environments were modified with wall posters, ranging from nature/gender-neutral to male figures (e.g., Einstein) and sci-fi themes.
• Performance was measured by response time and accuracy, with and without positive female self-avatars.

Main Results:

• Participants in the stereotypical STEM environment exhibited increased distraction, slower response times, and reduced accuracy compared to the neutral environment.
• The presence of positive female self-avatars significantly buffered participants against the negative cognitive impacts of the stereotypical environment.

Conclusions:

• Virtual environment design, including stereotypical imagery, can significantly influence women's cognitive performance and engagement in XR.
• Inclusive research practices and bias awareness are crucial for developing equitable and accurate XR systems.
• Minor design adjustments, such as incorporating positive female avatars, can enhance inclusivity and mitigate performance disparities in XR settings.