Conceptual versus Perceptual Training for Auditory Graphs

Abstract

A study examined different types of brief training for performance of a point estimation task with a sonified graph of quantitative data. For a given trial, participants estimated the price of a stock at a randomly selected hour of a 10-hour trading day as displayed by an auditory graph of the stock price. Sixty Georgia Tech undergraduate students completed a pre-test, an experimental training session, and a post-test for the point estimation task. In an extension of Smith and Walker (in press), a highly conceptual, task analysisderived method of training was examined along with training paradigms that used either practice alone, prompting of correct responses, or feedback for correct answers during the training session. A control group completed a filler task during training. Results indicated that practice with feedback during training produced better post-test scores than the control condition