Response Expiration, Accuracy, and Response Time Across Two Time-Limited Immersive VR Quiz Blocks: An Exploratory Within-Subject Comparison

Behavior in time-limited immersive virtual reality (VR) tasks can be characterized by response accuracy, response time among submitted responses, and whether a response is submitted before the available interval expires. This exploratory within-subject study compared outcomes across two non-equivalent VR quiz blocks in 22 adults. The baseline block presented a visual countdown, whereas the auditory-cue block used a different fixed question bank and included prerecorded ticking that accelerated midway through the nominal 15 s response interval. Block order was balanced across participants. Mixed-effects models showed no statistically significant between-block contrast in all-trial accuracy (OR = 0.93, 95% CI [0.22, 3.89], p=0.909) or response time among submitted responses (GMR = 0.93, 95% CI [0.74, 1.16], p=0.492). Response expiration occurred in 33 of 220 baseline trials (15.0%) and eight of 220 auditory-cue trials (3.6%), with an estimated between-block OR of 0.21 (95% CI [0.07, 0.65], p=0.009). Because the question bank and auditory configuration were permanently linked within each block, this contrast cannot be attributed specifically to the auditory cue. The study demonstrates a practical approach for reporting response expiration alongside accuracy and response time among submitted responses in time-limited immersive interaction.