Elsevier

Displays

Volume 29, Issue 2, March 2008, Pages 81-89
Displays

Survey on motion sickness-like symptoms provoked by viewing a video movie during junior high school class

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.displa.2007.09.003Get rights and content

Abstract

The incident of visually induced motion sickness (VIMS) occurred with a 20-min video movie during class in a local junior high school in Japan in 2003. To investigate possibly contributing factors of VIMS, we collected the incident data in three ways: interviewing school officials, measuring the visual environment on site, and surveying by questionnaires to the students. Analyzing the collected data showed that the students’ severities of the sickness related with their viewing distance to the video image, their concentrations on the video movie, their getting a cold, and their daily playing hours of video games. The results indicated that individual differences are determined not only by one factor, like autonomic nervous activity often focused in the literature, but also by combinations of other personal factors, such as health conditions, watching attitudes, and daily play activities.

Introduction

Recent progress of moving image technology makes visual image products more attractive, and brings us various benefits. The images are created and edited by computerized system, and therefore, the creators can easily produce real and dynamic visual images, which simulate motion and actions in virtually three-dimensional space. Those images are used for movies, videos, video/computer games, animation, etc. Moreover, we are recently getting familiar for video acquisition devices and also large size of TV screen at home, and therefore, we can easily record images with video camera and watch them with large visual displays. The striking evolution of moving image technology has brought us benefits not only for amusement but also for business and educational communication. The situations, however, possibly raise the chance for us to suffer from undesirable health risks, such as photosensitive seizures [1], visually induced motion sickness [2] and visual fatigue [3], [4], [5]. Our concern here is an incident of visually induced motion sickness, which was reported to have occurred on July 8, 2003 [6].

The site of the incident was a local junior high school. Students watched a 20-min movie presented on a large screen in an auditorium during class. The movie was shot by a handheld video camera, and included unexpected whole image motion and vibration, which were caused by both intended and unintended camera motion. During and after the class, some of the students suffered from nausea and other uncomfortable symptoms. Thirty-six students out of 294 were subsequently treated at a hospital for motion sickness-like symptoms.

Although the incident was a mishap for people who suffered from the sickness, it provides an opportunity to gather essential information for considering the contributing factors and countermeasures of visually induced motion sickness. In the case of photosensitive seizures, the Pokemon incident that happened in Japan in 1997 was investigated in detail by researchers and research committees [7]; the outcome of these activities partly contributed to an international guideline [8]. In the case of visually induced motion sickness, it has been socially, but not widely, recognized for movie and video games. In fact, there are specific terms representing the sickness for some visual image products; “Cinerama sickness” for movies, and “3D sickness” for video games, both terms that have been used among certain people. However, no incidents of visually induced motion sickness appear to have been recognized previously by news media.

The main purpose of the research is to find out possible contributing factors of visually induced motion sickness from the data concerning the incident. To do this, we collected data in three different ways. First, we interviewed school officials for the outline of the incident. Second, we measured the visual environments and other related conditions on site. Third, we collected responses to the questionnaires we had developed.

Section snippets

Outline of the incident

On August 19, 2003, we interviewed a school nurse and teachers on the incident at the school. The school nurse explained the events of the day of the incident based on her memo where the events were written in chronological order.

Video movie was shown in an indoor athletic hall from 10:20 for 20 min within the second class hour (from 9:50 to 10:40) on Tuesday, July 8, 2003. All the seventh-graders, 294 students (144 females and 150 males), participated in the class. The video movie, which

Visual environments and other related conditions

The video movie was shown in an indoor athletic hall, which was also used as an auditorium, on the second floor of gymnasium building. This hall had an entrance on the west side, and a platform stage on east side. There were two different types of windows both on north and south sides. One type consisted of larger and higher windows, while the other consisted of five smaller windows on the north side and one window on the south side both at the floor. During the class hour, blackout curtains

Method

We conducted a survey in the form of questionnaires containing 21 items (see Table 1) which can be put into six categories. First, questions 16, 17, 19, 20 and 21 were related to the motion sickness caused by the video movie. Second, Q.15 and 18 were about the concentration on and interests in the video movie. Third, Q.11–Q.15 were related to the health conditions on the day of the incident. Fourth, Q.4 to 8 were about the general health conditions related to the autonomic nervous activities.

Conclusion

The results showed that the students’ severities of the sickness related with their viewing distance to the video image, their concentrations on the video movie, their getting a cold, and their daily playing hours of video games. Therefore, we conclude that individual differences are determined not only by one factor, like autonomic nervous activity often focused in the literature, but also by combinations of other personal factors, such as health conditions, watching attitudes, and daily play

Acknowledgement

The survey was carried out partly under the Standard Authentication R&D Program, ”Standardization of Assessment Method for Visual Image Safety,” promoted by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in Japan. We thank to Professor Makoto Yoshizawa, a member of the Development Committee of the program for his active and generous collaboration on the survey.

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