The Experience of Presence: Factor Analytic Insights

TLDR

Presence in a virtual environment is argued to arise from constructing a spatial‑functional mental model of the VE, driven by representing bodily actions as possible actions and suppressing incompatible sensory input. The study hypothesizes that the conscious sense of presence reflects two components—spatial presence and involvement. A thirteen‑item presence scale comprising three independent components was developed and validated through confirmatory factor analyses in two studies. The two studies (N = 246 and N = 296) confirmed the hypothesis, revealing presence as spatial presence and involvement, a third realness component, and a second‑order factor analysis that distinguished presence, immersion, and interaction factors.

Abstract

Within an embodied cognition framework, it is argued that presence in a virtual environment (VE) develops from the construction of a spatial-functional mental model of the VE. Two cognitive processes lead to this model: the representation of bodily actions as possible actions in the VE, and the suppression of incompatible sensory input. It is hypothesized that the conscious sense of presence reflects these two components as spatial presence and involvement. This prediction was confirmed in two studies (N = 246 and N = 296) assessing self-reports of presence and immersion experiences. Additionally, judgments of “realness” were observed as a third presence component. A second-order factor analysis showed a distinction between presence, immersion, and interaction factors. Building on these results, a thirteen-item presence scale consisting of three independent components was developed and verified using confirmatory factor analyses across the two studies.