Mapping for meaning: the embodied sonification listening model and its implications for the mapping problem in sonic information design

Abstract

This is a theoretical paper that considers the mapping problem, a foundational issue which arises when designing a sonification, as it applies to sonic information design. We argue that this problem can be addressed by using models from the field of embodied cognitive science, including embodied image schema theory, conceptual metaphor theory and conceptual blends, and from research which treats sound and musical structures using these models, when mapping data to sound. However, there are currently very few theoretical frameworks for applying embodied cognition principles in a sonic information design context. This article describes one such framework, the embodied sonification listening model, which provides a theoretical description of sonification listening in terms of conceptual metaphor theory.