Questions for lesson 6

1. Questions for lesson 6 Sound, language, thought and sense integration 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 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 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. 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. 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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” 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. 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 Lesson 6