Mental Workload Wars: Audio-based XR Awakens

Abstract

Considering the need for valid and thorough metrics for mental workload in different modalities of extended reality (XR), we partially replicate a previous validation study under a different context: audio-based XR. Using two available datasets, we assess whether the cognitive subscale of the Video Game Demand Scale (VGDS) provides a valid measure of mental workload by comparing it with the mental demand item of the NASA Task Load Index in two distinct XR experiences: a rhythm-based virtual reality exergame, and an augmented reality sonification guidance task. Our results show a strong and moderately stable correlation between the two metrics under different difficulty conditions in each task, further validating the VGDS in multimodal XR contexts.