Norms and Correlations of the Visually Induced Motion Sickness Susceptibility Questionnaire Short (VIMSSQ-short)

Abstract

The short version of the Visually Induced Motion Sickness Susceptibility Questionnaires (VIMSSQ-short) was designed to estimate an individual's susceptibility to motion sickness caused by exposure to visual motion, for instance when using smartphones, simulators, or Virtual Reality. The goal of the present paper was to establish normative data of the VIMSSQ-short for men and women based on online surveys and to compare these results with findings from previously published work. VIMSSQ-short data from 920 participants were collected across four online surveys. In addition, the relationship with other relevant constructs such as susceptibilities to classic motion sickness (via the Motion Sickness Susceptibility Questionnaires (MSSQ)), Migraine, Dizziness, and Syncope, was explored. Normative data for the VIMSSQ-short showed a mean score of M = 7.2 (standard deviation (SD) = 4.2) and a median of 7, with a good test reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.80). No significant difference between men and women showed. The VIMSSQ-short correlated significantly with the MSSQ ( r = 0.55), Migraine ( r = 0.48), Dizziness ( r = 0.35), and Syncope ( r = 0.31). Exploratory factor analysis of all variables suggested two latent variables: nausea-related and oculomotor-related. Norms for this study were consistent with the only other large online survey. But average VIMSSQ-short values were lower in smaller studies of participants volunteering for cybersickness experiments, perhaps reflecting self-selection bias. The VIMSSQ-short provides reliability with efficient compromise between length and validity. It can be used alone or with other questionnaires, the most useful being the MSSQ and the Migraine Screening Questionnaire.