Eye-tracking measures of cognitive load show significantly higher validity than measures of other learning constructs in IVR¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · quant-synthesis r2 · q2 · i2 medium
Currency · newest study 2026 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i2 Cognitive load measures demonstrated significantly higher overall validity than measures of other constructs (U = 674.00, p = .018, r = .25). → Lee 2026 q2 i2 The validity components relations with other variables (U = 676.00, p = .003, r = .31) and consequences (U = 618.00, p = .050, r = .21) were significantly higher for cognitive load measures. → Lee 2026 (2)

Evidence¶

Lee 2026¶

Lee, J. Y., Moon, J., Paas, F., Cho, M., Darejeh, A., Holmer, S., & Ayres, P. (2026). Validity of Eye-Tracking Measures in Immersive Virtual Reality: Using Cognitive Theories of Learning. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-026-10186-9

q2 · i2 · quant-synthesis · r2

Mann-Whitney U comparison in the review's Results (Table 5) of validity scores for 12 cognitive-load measures versus 79 other measures. The review reports "a small-to-moderate effect size (U = 674.00, p = .018, r = .25)" with median 3 (IQR 0.5) versus 2 (IQR 1.5).

"Cognitive load measures demonstrated significantly higher overall validity, with a small-to-moderate effect size (U = 674.00, p = .018, r = .25), suggesting practical relevance for prioritizing cognitive load measures in IVR research."

Lee 2026 (2)¶

Lee, J. Y., Moon, J., Paas, F., Cho, M., Darejeh, A., Holmer, S., & Ayres, P. (2026). Validity of Eye-Tracking Measures in Immersive Virtual Reality: Using Cognitive Theories of Learning. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-026-10186-9

q2 · i2 · quant-synthesis · r2

Component-wise Mann-Whitney comparisons in Results (Table 5), with effect sizes r = .31 and r = .21 as printed. The review notes these variables "typically included performance outcomes and learner expertise levels," reinforcing the association between cognitive load and key learning indicators in IVR.

"Among the four validity components, relations with other variables (U = 676.00, p = .003, r = .31) and consequences ( U = 618.00, p = .050, r = .21) showed significantly higher scores, also with a small-to-moderate effect size."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Attention is the most frequently assessed learning construct in IVR eye-tracking research, while motivation, self-regulation, and immersion are unexamined — related
• Overall validity of eye-tracking measures of learning in IVR is limited, averaging 1.93 of 4, with data quality the weakest component — related