Gender influences on virtual reality colour matching task: performance, presence, usability, cognitive load, accuracy, and physiological response

Abstract This study investigated the differences between male and female users in user experience, cognitive workload, and performance on a VR-based colour matching task. 40 participants (25 men and 15 women) completed a VR-based activity that involved a colour recall and a colour matching task. This research is novel in its comprehensive, multimetric approach, integrating psychological and physiological assessments to explore gender effects within a psychophysically precise VR environment. The experiment included a NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) assessment, two questionnaires on presence, usability scales, and objective measures of colour accuracy. A Mann–Whitney U test was performed for all comparisons, which reported differences between males and females on none of the assessments. However, males reported greater mental demands and temporal demands compared to females, while females reported a greater score on perceived performance and immersion, such as their presence or engagement score. Performance data indicated high average colour comparison accuracy for men; however, statistical power was low for comparisons involving small colour differences. The findings suggest there is a difference in cognitive and perceptual processing between men and women while completing VR tasks; therefore, adaptive virtual reality interfaces need to be developed that consider user profiles based on gender.