Introducing the VIMSSQ: Measuring susceptibility to visually induced motion sickness

• Published in: Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting 2019-11, Vol.63 (1), p.2267-2271
• Main Authors: Keshavarz, Behrang, Saryazdi, Raheleh, Campos, Jennifer L., Golding, John F.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 2169-5067; 1071-1813; 2169-5067
• DOI: 10.1177/1071181319631216

Visually induced motion sickness (VIMS) is a specific form of motion sickness caused by dynamic visual content such as Virtual Reality applications. Predicting individual susceptibility to VIMS has proven to be difficult and a reliable method has yet to emerge. Here, we introduce the Visually Induced Motion Sickness Susceptibility Questionnaire (VIMSSQ), a modification of the Motion Sickness Susceptibility Questionnaire uniquely designed to predict the susceptibility to VIMS specifically. Scores on the VIMSSQ are based on incidences of nausea, headache, fatigue, dizziness, and eyestrain during the past use of visual devices. In this proof-of-concept study, 71 adult participants (34 younger, 37 older) engaged in a simulated driving task and VIMS was measured using the Fast Motion Sickness Scale. Strong correlations with the reported level of VIMS were found for the nausea aspects of the VIMSSQ, suggesting that the VIMSSQ may be a useful tool to estimate individuals’ susceptibility to VIMS.