Do I Have Your Attention Now? Supporting Attention in Dynamic Virtual Environments

There are many problem domains where users have to pay attention to a series of targets. In this article, we evaluated visual cues to support attention in dynamic situations in virtual environments. Three immersive visualizations (Emphasis, Deemphasis, Emphasis+Deemphasis) have been examined across four different attention types (sustained, alternating, divided, and selective attention) to support the user's attention on targets. Emphasis highlights targets of interest using outlines; Deemphasis removes details with masks, and Emphasis+Deemphasis combines both techniques. An experiment with 34 participants examined the cues through four scenarios that required different attention types in dynamic situations. Results indicated that while Emphasis supported significantly faster reactions in most attention types, the other two visual cues showed superiority across other measurements. Although evaluated in a virtual environment, the findings offer guidance for designing visual cues in other dynamic situations that involve different attention types.