Professional Documents
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A. Basics
Signs?
Index
An „Index“ is defined by some sensory feature
(something directly visible, audible, smellable, etc)
that is connected to it.
Icon
An icon is a pattern that physically resembles
what it „stands for“.
Symbol
Symbols are arbitrary and unmotivated, reliant on
conventional usage to determine meaning.
Auditory icons
Auditory symbols
Auditory symcons (Mixed)
B. Empirical study
Ambition & research questions
1. Appropriateness of Auditory icons/symbols and symcons for the transfer of
information-functions:
–> Advice
–> Warning
–> Emergency
– Secondary literature
Warning: „Timeout“ 1 2 3
Emergency: Deterrence 1 2 3
Context-Soundscape (Trainstation)
C. Results
Ambition & research questions
1. Appropriateness of Auditory icons/symbols and symcons for the transfer of
information-functions:
–> Advice
–> Warning
–> Emergency
Advice
Warning
Emergency
Funtion(intention) transferred
Thus, an ongoing study that addresses the perception of timbre is topic of the
further presentation.
A B
Relations
pitch - frequency
loudness - amplitude
timbre - multiple interacting acoustic factors
Plomp (1982)
Sounds cannot be ordered on a single scale with respect to timbre.
Timbre is a multidimensional attribute of the perception of sounds.
B. Sound perception
Timbre and psychoacoustic
properties
Interview Dr. Gerhard Thoma, chief sounddesigner BMW:
(http://www.goethe.de/ges/wrt/dos/aut/sou/de2169434.htm , 10/2007)
sad contented
depressed serene
bored relaxed
Deactivation
C. Study design
Functional Timbre Study
(„sound-colour the Gestalt“)
VARIABLES (TIGA)
Independent:
Timbre T
Gestalt G [pitch contour, rhythm, tone duration]
Dependent:
Information-function I [function, e.g. emergency, warning, advice/confirmation]
A B
Scherer/Osinsky 1977
Tonality: major mode: indicative of pleasantness and happiness
minor mode: disgust and anger
Activity = Fast tempo, high pitch level, many harmonics, large pitch variation,
sharp envelope, small amplitude variation
Thank you!