Women Suffer from Cybersickness More Often than Men, According to New Study

A new study has revealed that women are more likely to suffer from cybersickness than men when using virtual reality headsets.

The research, conducted by Iowa State University, found that women experience symptoms such as nausea, dizziness, headaches, and eye fatigue at a higher intensity and frequency than men, making it harder for them to use this cutting-edge technology.

This may not seem like a big deal when it comes to entertainment, but as virtual reality becomes more prevalent in job training and education, it is crucial to ensure that everyone can access and benefit from it.

Cybersickness in Women

According to Jonathan Kelly, a psychology professor involved in the study, "When VR gets to the point where it's a bigger part of job training or education in a classroom, it's even more important to make sure people can access this technology. If not, a lot of people are going to get left out, and there could be a backlash."

Cybersickness, also known as virtual reality sickness or VR sickness, is a condition that can occur when a person uses technology. It is similar to motion sickness and occurs when there is a conflict between what a person sees in the virtual environment and their physical movement or sensory input.

With a new $600,000 grant from the National Science Foundation, Iowa State researchers are diving deeper into this gender difference to find solutions to help individuals adapt.

The research also found that previous studies on this topic often had small sample sizes or gender imbalances, leading to conflicting results. But with 150 participants, including both men and women, the Iowa State researchers were able to identify significant gender differences in cybersickness.

According to the study, women discontinued the virtual reality game twice as frequently as men and reported feeling 40% more ill.

But what is causing this gender discrepancy? The researchers discovered that it is not just about the adjustable lens setup in VR headsets, which can accommodate different pupil distances. Women, on average, do have smaller pupil distances than men, but this doe not fully explain the difference in cybersickness.

Instead, the study suggests that women are more susceptible to motion and screen-based sickness, making them more prone to experiencing cybersickness.

Adding Blinders

So, what can be done to help? The Iowa State researchers are now exploring various options, from adding "blinders" to reduce peripheral vision while using VR to teleporting from point A to point B.

By reducing visual stimulation, these methods may help to ease cybersickness for first-time users.

The researchers will also explore ways to modify these settings gradually over time to facilitate a comfortable and gradual adjustment of users to VR.

The findings of the study were published in IEEE Xplore.