Can Immersion Protect us From Distraction? The Impact of Real-World Distractions on Learning in Augmented Reality

While many digital distractions can be managed, real-world interruptions, such as phone calls, notifications, and office noise, are harder to control and can harm productivity, well-being, and learning. Mixed reality systems like Augmented Reality (AR) are often described as immersive—a property which might protect users from such disruptions. We tested this assumption by comparing a head-mounted AR interface that overlays digital annotations on physical objects with a traditional flat screen during vocabulary learning under common office distractions. In a user study (n = 32), AR users reported feeling less distracted and recalled less task-irrelevant information, but their learning performance did not improve. Instead, distraction-related performance decline was greater in AR. Physiological and self-report measures showed no reduction in effort or workload, and participants with higher auditory distractibility did not benefit. Overall, AR annotation alone may not sufficiently shield learners from real-world distractions, motivating new design approaches.