Earcons Versus Auditory Icons in Communicating Computing Events: Learning and User Preference

Background And Hypotheses

Research investigating the use of the audio channel in computing interactions covers a wide variety of implementations. Csapó and Wersényi (2013) provide a survey of the auditory representations of auditory icons and earcons, as well as auditory representations that have been developed as extensions to these including speech-based sounds (e.g., spearcons) and emotionally based sounds such as auditory emoticons. Research results have shown that including an auditory element in the interface can effectively complement other display modalities (e.g., visual) in human interactions, not only in the traditional desktop computer environment but also in virtual and augmented reality, mobile platforms, and even in vehicles (Zhao, 2013; Isherwood & McKeown, 2016).