文献类型：期刊文献

英文题名：The Effects of Depth and Style of Icon Design on Task Performance Under Different Levels of Cognitive Load for Virtual Emergency

作者：Chen, Yumiao[1];Wang, Kaixuan[1]

机构：[1]East China Univ Sci & Technol, Sch Art Design & Media, Shanghai 200237, Peoples R China

年份：2026

外文期刊名：INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERACTION

收录：;EI(收录号：20260820135794);WOS:【SSCI(收录号:WOS:001694695500001)，SCI-EXPANDED(收录号:WOS:001694695500001)】；

基金：This study was partly supported by the Research Project of Humanities and Social Sciences of the Ministry of Education [No. 24YJA760013], the National Natural Science Foundation of China [No. 51905175], the Shanghai Soft Science Key Project [No. 24692109400], and the Xie Youbai Design Science Research Foundation [No. XYB-DS-202301].

语种：英文

外文关键词：Virtual reality; cognitive load; icon depth; icon presentation style; search task performance

摘要：Virtual reality, with its immersive interaction and controllable scenario construction, is increasingly used for training and evaluating time-critical human-computer interaction tasks. In such settings, users must rapidly extract interface information under limited time, and icons serve as core visual elements whose depth cues and presentation styles may affect visual search efficiency and task performance. This study investigates how icon depth and presentation style affect task performance under varying levels of time-induced cognitive load. Twenty participants completed two experiments: a time-pressure test to establish low, medium, and high load conditions, and an icon search task. Analysis of task completion time and error rate using ANOVA and multiple comparisons showed that cognitive load rose significantly with time pressure. Under low load, neither depth nor style had significant effects, though detailed asymmetric 3D icons slightly reduced search time. Under medium load, style effects were significant: icons with 30-50% opacity and blurred backgrounds achieved shorter completion times and lower error rates. Under high load, both depth and style were significant, with flat 2D icons paired with 50% opacity blurred backgrounds yielding the best performance, while text labels and solid backgrounds impaired efficiency. These results suggest using detailed 3D icons with higher contrast for low-load scenarios, moderate-opacity blurred backgrounds for medium-load scenarios, and simplified flat 2D icons for high-load scenarios. The findings provide empirical evidence and design recommendations for optimizing icon presentation in immersive environments, particularly under high cognitive load.