A Meta-Analytic Examination of the Cost and Benefits of Overlay versus Separate Displays

Costs and benefits are associated with how information is presented depending on the type of task required. A meta-analysis was conducted to examine the costs and benefits associated with overlaying information on a single display, as in the case with a head-mounted display, or presenting information more separately, as in the case with a head-down display (e.g., a tablet). Seventeen studies contributed a total of 82 individual effect sizes that met the inclusion criteria for the meta-analysis. Overall, overlaid displays led to a response time benefit for integration tasks without compromising accuracy, whereas separate displays led to an accuracy benefit for focused attention tasks. The findings here speak favorably to the use of head-mounted displays for tasks that require integrating information on the display with information in the real world.