Improving Auditory Warning Design: Quantifying and Predicting the Effects of Different Warning Parameters on Perceived Urgency

Abstract

The effects of four parameters (speed, fundamental frequency, repetition units, and inharmonicity) on perceived urgency were scaled using an application of Stevens's power law. From the exponents obtained, equal units of urgency change were calculated for three parameters. The units were combined in a set of stimuli, and the order of urgency was predicted. The obtained and predicted orders of urgency were highly correlated. The results also showed that even when equalized by psychophysical techniques, some parameters contribute more to perceived urgency than do others. This may be attributable to the different types of parameters scaled or the proportion of the usable range of each parameter that represents a unit change in urgency. The implication of the work for the design and improvement of auditory warnings is discussed.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Edworthy, J. , Loxley, S. , and Dennis, I. (1991). Improving auditory warning design: Relationship between warning sound parameters and perceived urgency. Human Factors, 33, 205–231.

Engen, T. (1971). Scaling methods. In J. Kling and L. Riggs (Eds.), Experimental psychology (pp. 45–86). London: Methuen.

Freed, D. , and Martens, D. (1986). Deriving psychophysical relations for timbre. In Proceedings of the International Computer Music Association (pp. 393–405). Evanston, IL: Northwestern Computer Music.

Hellier, E. (1991). An investigation into the perceived urgency of auditory warnings. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Polytechnic South West, Devon, England.

Hellier, E. , and Edworthy, J. (1989). Quantifying the perceived urgency of auditory warnings. Canadian Acoustics, 17, 3–11.

Kuwano, S. , and Namba, S. (1990). Continuous judgement of loudness and annoyance. In Proceedings of the 6th Annual Meeting of the International Society for Psychophysics (pp. 129–139). Wurtzburg, Germany: International Society for Psychophysics.

Mashour, M. , and Hosman, J. (1968). On the new psychophysical law: A validation study. Perception and Psychophysics, 3, 367–375.

Neter, J. (1985). Applied linear statistical models. Evanston, IL: Irwin.

Patterson, R. (1982). Guidelines for auditory warning systems in civil aircraft (Report 82017). London: Civil Aviation Authority.

10.

Sorkin, R. , Kantowitz, B. , and Kantowitz, S. (1988). Likelihood alarm displays. Human Factors, 30, 455–459.

11.

Stevens, S. (1957). On the psychophysical law. Psychological Review, 64, 153–181.

12.

Stevens, S. (1966). On the operation known as judgment. American Scientist, 54, 226–253.

13.

Stevens, S. (1969). On predicting exponents for crossmodality matches. Perception and Psychophysics, 6, 251–257.

14.

Stevens, S. , and Gelenter, E. (1957). Ratio scales and category scales for a dozen perceptual continua. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 54, 377–411.