The Fast Motion Sickness Scale Revisited: Introducing Comparable Scales for Dizziness and Oculomotor Strain

Area of Science:

• Human physiology
• Psychometrics
• Human-computer interaction

Background:

• The Fast Motion Sickness Scale (FMS) is a useful tool for quick motion sickness assessment.
• However, the original FMS does not differentiate between specific motion sickness symptoms.
• Existing scales may not balance speed with detailed symptom assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop novel scales for measuring dizziness and eye strain, key aspects of motion sickness.
• To create a more comprehensive assessment of motion sickness symptoms beyond general severity.
• To enhance real-time monitoring of well-being in motion-intensive environments.

Main Methods:

• Development of two FMS variants: FMS-D (dizziness) and FMS-O (oculomotor discomfort).
• Discussion of the trade-offs between global and symptom-specific motion sickness measures.
• Presentation of a taxonomy for assessing motion sickness symptom clusters.

Main Results:

• Successful introduction and observer use of the FMS-D and FMS-O scales.
• FMS-D effectively captures dizziness, and FMS-O captures eye strain.
• The original FMS remains effective for assessing nausea.

Conclusions:

• The FMS-D and FMS-O scales provide non-redundant, specific measures for dizziness and eye strain.
• Combined with the original FMS for nausea, these scales capture the primary symptom clusters of motion sickness.
• These scales offer a powerful tool for frequent, real-time monitoring of motion sickness symptoms.