Tap into Reality: Understanding the Impact of Interactions on Presence and Reaction Time in Mixed Reality

Enhancing presence in mixed reality (MR) relies on precise measurement and quantification. While presence has traditionally been measured through subjective questionnaires, recent research links presence with objective metrics like reaction time. Past studies examined this correlation with varying technical factors (object realism and behavior) and human conditioning, but the impact of interaction remains unclear. To answer this question, we conducted a within-subjects study (N = 50) to explore the correlation between presence and reaction time across two interaction scenarios (direct and symbolic) with two tasks (selection and manipulation). We found that presence scores and reaction times are correlated (correlation coefficient of -0.54), suggesting that the impact of interaction on reaction time correlates with its effect on presence.