Using semantic differential scales to assess the subjective perception of aufditory warning signals

The relationship between physical acoustic parameters and the subjective responses they evoke is important to assess in audio alarm design. While the perception of urgency has been thoroughly investigated, the perception of other variables such as pleasantness, negativeness and irritability has not. To characterize the psychological correlates of variables such as frequency, speed, rhythm and onset, twenty-six participants evaluated fifty-four audio warning signals according to six different semantic differential scales. Regression analysis showed that speed predicted mostly the perception of urgency, preoccupation and negativity; frequency predicted the perception of pleasantness and irritability; and rhythm affected the perception of urgency. No correlation was found with onset and offset times. These findings are important to human-centred design recommendations for auditory warning signals.