Visual Distraction and Cognitive Load: Investigating the Effects of Camouflaging Smartphones in AR to Improve Cognitive Performance

Abstract

Smartphones, while essential to modern life, can impair cognitive performance even when idle and in view — a phenomenon known as the brain drain effect. Prior research has shown that their mere presence reduces attentional capacity, while notifications further exacerbate this effect by capturing attention and increasing extraneous cognitive load. Although subtractive augmented reality (AR) systems - AR approaches that visually diminish or mask distracting real-world objects - such as DiminishAR have demonstrated potential in reducing the visual salience of smartphones, these interventions have largely been tested under static conditions without dynamic distractions. This thesis investigates whether AR-based visual camouflage can mitigate cognitive load and support task performance during active notification events - a more ecologically valid and demanding scenario. Drawing from Cognitive Load Theory and the Theory of Event Coding, a within-subjects experiment was conducted using the Meta Quest 3 headset. Participants completed a working memory task (OSPAN) under six conditions that varied phone visibility (present, removed, camouflaged) and notification presence (on/off). Measures included behavioral performance (OSPAN score), subjective workload (NASA-TLX), and physiological heart rate - initially included to explore feasibility but ultimately excluded from analysis due to signal instability across devices. While the primary behavioral results did not reach statistical significance, consistent descriptive trends indicated that AR camouflage reduced perceived distraction and cognitive effort compared to visible phones, particularly under notification load. Subjective workload ratings showed a significant condition effect, and physical demand ratings suggested that camouflaging may alleviate sensorimotor conflict triggered by notification-induced perception–action coupling. Qualitative feedback further supported the potential of AR camouflage as a subtle attentional aid. This study contributes to the field of cognitive augmentation by extending subtractive AR research into dynamic task environments and highlighting the relevance of perceptual salience in attention regulation. Although exploratory in nature, the findings provide a foundation for future work on adaptive, ecologically valid AR interventions aimed at supporting attentional control in distraction-rich environments.

Date of Award	2025
Original language	English
Supervisor	Martin Kocur (Supervisor)