Usability Study- audio signals

Auditory signals can be especially useful in critical situations because sound has unique advantages for events that require quick responses.
unique advantages for events that require rapid responses.
Human hearing is omnidirectional and cannot be inadvertently turned off, whereas visual warnings must be recognized in order to be effective. Several research studies have
demonstrated the potential of sounds to alert drivers and improve safety. Today Spence, for example, investigated the effectiveness of predictive and non-predictive auditory signals, to capture drivers' attention in a simulated driving task.
Participants responded to urgent situations by braking or accelerating. A rapid series of visual presentations (RSVP) task was used to distract drivers. The results showed that a spatially showed that a spatially predictive cue (car horn mixer or verbal message) effectively led to rapid responses.
effectively led to rapid responses.
Fung et al. used an advanced driving simulator to examine the usefulness of auditory signals for an auditory the usefulness of auditory cues for a collision avoidance system. The study revealed that a very simple auditory signal simple (2 kHz tones) caused distracted drivers to shift their attention to the road and brake quickly. quickly.
Audible alarms differ from other prominent sounds in a work environment, as they are they are specifically designed to indicate urgency and danger.
In warning design, it is crucial for the urgency of the warning to correspond to the urgency of the situation. urgency of the situation. Appropriate "urgency mapping" could help a user of the system to understand the warning and to respond system user to understand the warning and respond more effectively.
More urgent sounds can lead to faster responses, at least when the response task is simple. response task is simple. Research in the driving domain has shown that this type of
sounds can prompt drivers to release the throttle in emergency situations. situations. However, the non-coincidence of urgency can undermine the effectiveness of a warning.
For example, if a driver perceives a collision warning as less urgent than a vehicle signal or an incoming phone call. or an incoming phone call, he or she is likely to become confused.