| The inclusion of auditory cues within a graphical user interface (GUI) should be a mechanism for the improvement of task performance and the facilitation of usability. This research examines the general selection of nonspeech sounds for use in a computer-based application, and furthermore assesses the performance of users engaged in a simulated order-entry task as found in a furniture manufacturing plant. A series of laboratory experiments was conducted to evaluate the utility of stereo and spatially-enhanced (three-dimensional) auditory cues in the computer interface.; In the first experiment, 22 participants provided pleasantness ratings, functional mappings (assignments of sounds to specific commands), and confidence ratings for 'real world' and 'abstract' sounds. In the second experiment, ninety-six participants interacted with the simulated interface using one of four stereo sound groups. Each sound group (abstract, real world, hybrid1 and hybrid2) contained eight sounds selected from the first study, with the hybrid groups were composed of a mixture of abstract and real world sounds. In the third experiment, seventy-two participants interacted with the simulated interface using one of two spatially-enhanced sound groups (real world or hybrid) as selected from the second experiment. Participants in the second and third experiments used the keyboard and/or the mouse to interact with the interface simulation, and received alert information in the form of sounds, textual cues, or both. Performance for the simulated interface was measured in terms of: skill acquisition (learning), perceived workload, task omissions, incorrect responses and task response time.; This work shows that nonspeech auditory cues can enhance some aspects of task performance. The results of these experiments were used to develop a methodology for the utilization of auditory cues in the graphical user interface. The use of sound in computer applications as demonstrated in this work has implications for the improvement of human-computer interactions. |
