Effect of gender on immersion in collaborative iODV applications

Interactive omnidirectional video (iODV) is a media format that allows the user to explore and interact with a 360-degree view of the recorded scenery. Recently, novel collaborative applications for presenting iODV content have emerged. Often their goal is to offer as immersive as possible experience to the users. Previous studies suggest that gender affects the §of immersion in virtual environments and other media, but there has been only little research on immersion in iODVs, and nothing in the context of collaborative interaction. In this research, we studied gender effect with participants (N=30, 15 pairs) performing a collaborative wayfinding task. Subjective data gathered with a customized immersion questionnaire showed statistically significant differences between male and female participants in Spatial Immersion and Involvement subscales. There were no statistical differences in Interaction, Realness, Physical and Auditory subscales. Several possibly affecting factors were observed during the task completion. Our results also indicate that performing interactive, collaborative tasks in iODV applications helps building a shared understanding between the users.