Sense of Agency in Mid-Air Translation with Head-Mounted AR

Abstract

Head-mounted augmented reality (AR) interfaces are already adopted in various programs, and virtual object translation has become a significant feature of these touchless interfaces. Previous research found that the degrees of freedom (DoF) of translation modes had a direct influence on users’ task performance and psychological experience in simulated settings. In addition, sense of agency (SoA), which emphasizes one’s feelings of control, is essential for motor control and action selection. SoA has evolved into a psychological experience index that measures users’ feelings of control, but little is known about the effect of virtual object translation on SoA. Prior studies also found a correlation between feelings of control and mental workload, but scholars argued that there was insufficient research on the impact of mental workload on users’ SoA. Therefore, this study explored SoA in mid-air translation modes with head-mounted AR through self-report along with task performance, revealing a positive correlation between translation mode and SoA. Moreover, this study investigated SoA by concentrating on its correlation with mental workload, which indicated a negative association between mental workload and SoA.