Association Testing-A Methodology for Selecting and Evaluating Audio Alerts

Abstract

The Map Display (MD) system functions as a shared map which allows different parties at different location to communicate critical signals warning and advisory functions to users in aircraft, tanks, and other ground vehicle. The purpose of this experiment was to determine whether the audio alerts designed by the DSO Human Factors Team provided better user association than the audio alerts that existed in the MD system. The sounds in the MD system consisted of pure tones, while the new audio alerts were auditory icons designed to provide a higher level of user association. The work focuses on an initial effort to develop a methodology to select and improve the design of audio alerts (1. Ranking 2. Free Response Testing 3. Urgency Testing and 4. Conceptual Mapping Testing.) Further, the need to consider how experts and novices would perceive these audio alerts was experimentally demonstrated. Subjects were 30 males out of which 9 were army infantryman. Data were analyzed using a mixed design experiment. Results revealed that there was no significant difference between tones and icons when perceived urgency and matching was taken into consideration. In addition, this methodology was successful in identifying the poorly designed audio alerts and valuable feedback was gathered to improve the audio alert design.