1. Sound, language, thought and sense integration
Questions for lesson 6
Sound, language, thought and sense integration
2/23/2019
Lesson 6

2. Sound Why is sound especially important in human interaction?
Give an example of a web site application based on this feature
Because it links more directly to the emotions
Using music to create a mood at a web site, sound of a crowd getting excited, etc
2/23/2019
Lesson 6

3. Sound aspects
What are the three perceived aspects of any sound? What aspects of the physical stimulus do they relate to. How, if at all, is each aspect measured physically?
What stimulus causes sound perception?
What is the difference between two different musical instruments playing the same note at the same loudness?
Loudness - wave amplitude (db), pitch - wave frequency (Hz) and timbre - wave shape (not measurable along a single dimension
Changes in air pressure.
Timbre
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Lesson 6

4. Loudness What is the effect of sudden very loud sounds on people?
What does this mean for web site design
What if some people are very sensitive to sound while others cannot hear it?
Unpleasant, surprise
Avoid very loud sounds
Allow a volume control so the individual can control it.
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Lesson 6

5. Pitch Why do different notes on a piano sound different?
What is the effect of different sound frequencies on people?
Because they are different frequencies
People associate lower sounds with larger objects, and hence with strength. This may involve either threat (if a danger) or reassurance (if a support). Higher frequencies are associated with smaller objects. May be less threatening and more friendly, or less reassuring.Low may also represent slowness, and high frequencies may be associated with speed.
2/23/2019
Lesson 6

6. Timbre What is the main role of timbre when listening to sounds?
For human speech, what do people deduce from timbre?
How does this apply to web site design?
To identify the type of object producing the sound
Sex, country of origin, age, education and status
If using sound, must choose the “voice” type to fit the listener
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Lesson 6

7. Chords
Any complex sound wave can be broken down into a set of pure sine waves. This is called?
What is the purpose of doing this?
How does the ear deal with sounds that are combinations of frequencies?
When two notes of different frequencies “go together” it is called
Fundamental to pitch harmony is a frequency difference called
Fourier analysis
To identify the notes that combine to make the sound
It tries to identify the original frequencies - ie do a fourier analysis
Harmony
The octave
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Lesson 6

8. Attention
Why is a sound change more likely to catch attention than a visual one?
Because sound channel is often free - while people are reading or looking
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Lesson 6

9. Music What are the three aspects of music?
What is an advantage of music in communicating meaning?
What is the purpose of music in a web site?
Rhythm, melody and harmony
It is universally understood
To create mood or an emotional reaction
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Lesson 6

10. F/G vs B/G
What are three general types of auditory effect in web site design?
What is the purpose of foreground vs background sound?
How would each of the three general types of sound be adapted to be foreground or background?
Simple sounds, music and speech
Foreground - draws attention to itself, background does not
See notes
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Lesson 6

11. Individual differences
Give examples of individual differences in preferences for simple sounds
for music?
Sounds- some prefer louder or quieter, some don’t hear high frequencies
Music some prefer focus on rhythm (heavy rock), melody (pop) or harmony (orchestra) or various combinations
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Lesson 6

12. Binaural How can hearing help spatial location of an object?
What is the basis of stereo sound?
Is the localization of sound position carried out by the same analyzers that identify what the object is?
Time (low) or loudness (high notes) difference between the ears
Delivering different signals to each each, either via two speakers, or via headphones
No, auditory illusion experiments suggest not
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Lesson 6

13. Phonemes
Why do people from different backgrounds speaking the same language to the same level sound different?
What is a phoneme? Does it correspond to the syllables in written language?
Why to people notice how others form phonemes? How is this important in web site design?
Because they form phonemes as different sounds.
The basic sound elements of speech. No, there is no necessary relation
Phonemes indicate where the person is from, especially if native or foreign
Use a native speaker usually, but sometimes may use foreign for some effect
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Lesson 6

14. Communication
What is the basic requirement for sender receiver communication?
Does communication require intelligence?
What causes miscommunication?
Sender and receiver process a signal the same way
No, because bees can communicate
Sender and receiver process same signal in different ways
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Lesson 6

15. Body language What does postural congruence in conversations imply?
How does this apply to web page design?
Both are processing the same way, or in rapport
There must be congruence or rapport between web page and the user. Designer must identify audience and show something that indicates a common perspective. Use commonly accepted ideas to communicate. Web interaction is like a “conversation”
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Lesson 6

16. Formal language
What is the difference between an instinctive signal and the symbols of a language?
Should web site designers use instinctive signals or arbitrary symbols, and why?
Does speech involve instinctive signals or a symbols?
Signals, like a smile or cry of pain, are largely defined by biology, but symbols are defined by culture and so are it is quite arbitrary which sounds represent what things. Hence the different languages.
Should use both. Signals can convey information very efficiently in a way everyone can understand, but are limited in what they say. Symbols can represent anything, but are not understood by those who do not know the language.
Both, tone of voice and certain sounds like “ooh” or “um” can be signals of state. The words of the language are symbols.
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Lesson 6

17. Concepts What is a concept? How do people communicate concepts?
Are concepts and language closely linked?
How can one support the link between words and conceptual meaning?
Mental representation of an experience
By language
Not really, in development they occur at different rates and can be quite disconnected
Use the situation to support meaning
2/23/2019
Lesson 6