Camera Sourced Heart Rate Synchronicity: A Measure of Immersion in Audiovisual Experiences

TY - JOUR

T1 - Camera Sourced Heart Rate Synchronicity

T2 - A Measure of Immersion in Audiovisual Experiences

AU - Williams, Joseph

AU - Francombe, Jon

AU - Murphy, Damian Thomas

N1 - © 2024 by the authors.

PY - 2024/8/16

Y1 - 2024/8/16

N2 - Audio presentation is often attributed as being capable of influencing a viewer’s feeling of immersion during an audiovisual experience. However, there is limited empirical research supporting this claim. This study aimed to explore this effect by presenting a clip renowned for its immersive soundtrack to two groups of participants with either high-end or basic audio presentation. To measure immersion, a novel method is applied, which utilises a camera instead of an electroencephalogram (ECG) for acquiring a heart rate synchronisation feature. The results of the study showed no difference in the feature, or the responses to an established immersion questionnaire, between the participants in the two groups. However, the camera-sourced HR synchronicity feature correlated with the results of the immersion questionnaire. Moreover, the camera-sourced HR synchronicity feature was found to correlate with an equivalent feature sourced from synchronously recorded ECG data. Hence, this shows the viability of using a camera instead of an ECG sensor to quantify heart rate synchronisation but suggests that audio presentation alone is not capable of eliciting a measurable difference in the feeling of immersion, in this context.

AB - Audio presentation is often attributed as being capable of influencing a viewer’s feeling of immersion during an audiovisual experience. However, there is limited empirical research supporting this claim. This study aimed to explore this effect by presenting a clip renowned for its immersive soundtrack to two groups of participants with either high-end or basic audio presentation. To measure immersion, a novel method is applied, which utilises a camera instead of an electroencephalogram (ECG) for acquiring a heart rate synchronisation feature. The results of the study showed no difference in the feature, or the responses to an established immersion questionnaire, between the participants in the two groups. However, the camera-sourced HR synchronicity feature correlated with the results of the immersion questionnaire. Moreover, the camera-sourced HR synchronicity feature was found to correlate with an equivalent feature sourced from synchronously recorded ECG data. Hence, this shows the viability of using a camera instead of an ECG sensor to quantify heart rate synchronisation but suggests that audio presentation alone is not capable of eliciting a measurable difference in the feeling of immersion, in this context.

KW - audio presentation

KW - multichannel audio

KW - biosignals

KW - psychophysiological methods

KW - remote photoplethysmography

U2 - 10.3390/app14167228

DO - 10.3390/app14167228

M3 - Article

SN - 2076-3417

VL - 14

JO - Applied Sciences

JF - Applied Sciences

M1 - 7228

ER -