Assessing Feature Importance in Eye-Tracking Data within Virtual Reality Using Explainable Artificial Intelligence Techniques

Our research systematically investigates the cognitive and emotional processes revealed through eye movements within the context of virtual reality (VR) environments. We assess the utility of eye-tracking data for predicting emotional states in VR, employing explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) to advance the interpretability and transparency of our findings. Utilizing the VR Eyes: Emotions dataset (VREED) alongside an extra trees classifier enhanced by SHapley Additive ExPlanations (SHAP) and local interpretable model agnostic explanations (LIME), we rigorously evaluate the importance of various eye-tracking metrics. Our results identify significant correlations between metrics such as saccades, micro-saccades, blinks, and fixations and specific emotional states. The application of SHAP and LIME elucidates these relationships, providing deeper insights into the emotional responses triggered by VR. These findings suggest that variations in eye feature patterns serve as indicators of heightened emotional arousal. Not only do these insights advance our understanding of affective computing within VR, but they also highlight the potential for developing more responsive VR systems capable of adapting to user emotions in real-time. This research contributes significantly to the fields of human-computer interaction and psychological research, showcasing how XAI can bridge the gap between complex machine-learning models and practical applications, thereby facilitating the creation of reliable, user-sensitive VR experiences. Future research may explore the integration of multiple physiological signals to enhance emotion detection and interactive dynamics in VR.