Comparing the Neuro-Physiological Effects of Cinematic Virtual Reality with 2D Monitors

In this work, we explore if the immersion afforded by Virtual Reality can improve the cognitive integration of information in Cinematic Virtual Reality (CVR). We conducted a user study examining participants' cognitive activities (recall performance and cortical response) when consuming visual information of emotional and emotionally neutral scenes in a non-CVR environment (i.e. a monitor) versus a CVR environment (i.e. a head-mounted display). Cortical response was recorded using electroencephalography. The results showed that participants had greater early visual attention with neutral emotions in a CVR environment, and showed higher overall alpha power in a CVR environment. The use of CVR did not significantly affect participants' recall performance.