Predicting presence: Constructing the Tendency toward Presence Inventory

We used a rational-empirical approach to construct the Tendency toward Presence Inventory (TPI), constructing scales to measure the individual difference human factors hypothesized to predict a person's tendency to experience the cognitive state of presence. The initial pool of 105 items was administered to 499 undergraduate psychology students at a university in the southeastern United States in order to empirically validate the underlying factor structure associated with this tendency. Six factors were derived, resembling the original conceptual model. Construct validity and reliability evidence are presented. Future empirical work is needed to explore the criterion and predictive validities of the factors constituting this inventory.