Measuring in-situ engagement during structured experiences: Validation & reliability study using immersion neuroscience software

Abstract

Effective measurement of participant engagement is vital to the advancement of experience design research. This paper addresses the feasibility, validity, and reliability of one possible measure, Immersion Neuroscience Software (INS). INS uses wearable cardiac sensors and a proprietary algorithm to process heart rate data to provide a passive real-time score of in-situ engagement—i.e., a second-by-second neurophysiological score that is interpreted as participant attention to the experience (dopamine) and emotional resonance during the experience (oxytocin). For this study, we test INS in the context of a structured experience of theatrical performance. This study included a sample of 72 individuals across four performances of the same dramatic play. Our findings provide initial evidence of INS as a promising approach to measuring in-situ engagement during structured experiences.