Short answer

Design AR experiences with extreme simplicity and cognitive offloading in mind, especially for complex tasks, as AR inherently increases mental workload more than VR.

Field: Human Factors
Source: Information Systems Frontiers (2022)
Method: Between-subjects experiment
Evidence: Strong effect

Augmented Reality (AR) significantly increases overall subjective workload, particularly mental demand and effort, compared to Virtual Reality (VR) when performing multi-faceted tasks. This human factors research insight is drawn from a 2022 study published in Information Systems Frontiers. Using Between-subjects experiment, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Design AR experiences with extreme simplicity and cognitive offloading in mind, especially for complex tasks, as AR inherently increases mental workload more than VR.

Study

Human FactorsHigh ImpactStrong effect

Augmented Reality increases perceived workload more than Virtual Reality for complex tasks

Augmented Reality (AR) significantly increases overall subjective workload, particularly mental demand and effort, compared to Virtual Reality (VR) when performing multi-faceted tasks.

Information Systems Frontiers · 2022

Key Findings

01AR significantly increased overall workload compared to conditions without AR.
02AR significantly increased mental demand and effort.
03VR had no significant effect on any workload sub-dimensions.
04There was a significant interaction effect between AR and VR on physical demand, effort, and overall workload.

Application

Design takeaway

Design AR experiences with extreme simplicity and cognitive offloading in mind, especially for complex tasks, as AR inherently increases mental workload more than VR.

How to apply

For an AR-based inventory management system, instead of displaying all item details simultaneously, use context-aware pop-ups or voice commands to retrieve information, reducing visual clutter and mental processing. For a VR training simulation, allow for more complex visual environments as VR's impact on workload is less pronounced.

Project actions

01If your project involves AR, focus on making the interface super simple to reduce user effort.
02If your project uses VR, you might have more room for complex visuals or interactions without overwhelming users as much.
03Always test your XR designs with users to see how much mental effort they require.

Method & Evidence

AimTo examine whether Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) technologies increase or decrease the difficulties of carrying out everyday tasks, specifically focusing on subjective workload.

MethodBetween-subjects experiment

ProcedureParticipants were assigned to one of four conditions (AR with/without, VR with/without) and performed a shopping-related task involving navigation, movement, hand-interaction, information processing, searching, storing, decision-making, and simple calculation. Subjective workload was measured using the NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX).

ContextMetaverse/Extended Reality (XR) mediated information systems for everyday tasks (e.g., shopping).

Variables

IVPresence of Augmented Reality (AR: with vs. without), Presence of Virtual Reality (VR: with vs. without)

DVSubjective workload (measured by NASA-TLX: frustration, performance, effort, physical, mental, temporal demand, and overall workload)

CVShopping-related task complexity, experimental setup (though specific details are not provided in the abstract)

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

+Experimental design allows for causal inferences.
+Uses a standardized and validated workload measurement tool (NASA-TLX).
+Investigates both AR and VR, allowing for comparison.

Limitations

This study only looked at one type of task (shopping). Other tasks might show different results. Also, it didn't compare XR to doing the task in the real world without any tech.

Reliability & validity

The use of NASA-TLX contributes to the reliability of workload measurement. Internal validity is strengthened by the experimental design. External validity might be limited by the specific task and context.

Think critically

How might the type of task (e.g., creative vs. analytical) influence the perceived workload in AR versus VR? What design principles could specifically mitigate the 'mental demand' increase in AR?

Design Principles

"Minimize cognitive load in AR; simplify complex tasks."

Users perceive AR as more demanding because it overlays digital information onto the real world, requiring cognitive effort to integrate both realities. This increased cognitive load can lead to frustration, errors, and reduced task efficiency, especially for complex or prolonged interactions.

What This Means for Your Design

When you use Augmented Reality (like seeing digital stuff over the real world), it makes your brain work harder and feel more tired than when you use Virtual Reality (being completely in a digital world) for complicated tasks.

How to use in your project

1.When designing information architecture for AR, prioritize contextual relevance and 'just-in-time' information delivery to avoid cognitive overload. For VR, consider more immersive and detailed information displays.

Add to My Project

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

Research by Xi et al. (2022) indicates that Augmented Reality significantly increases overall subjective workload, particularly mental demand and effort, compared to Virtual Reality for complex tasks, suggesting a need for simplified information architecture in AR experiences.

Source

Information Systems Frontiers

The challenges of entering the metaverse: An experiment on the effect of extended reality on workload

journal · 2022

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about augmented reality increases perceived workload more than virtual reality for complex tasks?: Design AR experiences with extreme simplicity and cognitive offloading in mind, especially for complex tasks, as AR inherently increases mental workload more than VR. Evidence: Information Systems Frontiers (2022).
Why does "Augmented Reality increases perceived workload more than Virtual Reality for complex tasks" matter for design?: Users perceive AR as more demanding because it overlays digital information onto the real world, requiring cognitive effort to integrate both realities. This increased cognitive load can lead to frustration, errors, and reduced task efficiency, especially for complex or prolonged interactions.
How can designers apply this research?: Design AR experiences with extreme simplicity and cognitive offloading in mind, especially for complex tasks, as AR inherently increases mental workload more than VR.
What were the main findings?: AR significantly increased overall workload compared to conditions without AR.. AR significantly increased mental demand and effort.. VR had no significant effect on any workload sub-dimensions.. There was a significant interaction effect between AR and VR on physical demand, effort, and overall workload.
What research method was used?: Between-subjects experiment.
How strong is the evidence?: Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2022 journal from Information Systems Frontiers.
What should I do differently in my next project?: For an AR-based inventory management system, instead of displaying all item details simultaneously, use context-aware pop-ups or voice commands to retrieve information, reducing visual clutter and mental processing. For a VR training simulation, allow for more complex visual environments as VR's impact on workload is less pronounced.
What are the limitations?: The study used a specific shopping-related task; findings might vary for different types of tasks or different XR applications. The 'without AR/VR' conditions might not fully represent a 'physical reality' baseline.