Human Factors in Auditory Warnings

Auditory warnings now pervade all aspects of our working and domestic lives. This book provides the latest research and development in the design and application of auditory warnings. The contributors cover all aspects of the subject - from basic topics such as audibility and localisation of warnings, through psychological issues concerned with the relationships between design, understanding and the behavioural response, to the more general ergonomic issues of implementing the warnings in a particular context. The book is divide into four main parts. The first part discusses acoustics an the auditory process. The second part, Auditory cognition looks at: the interpretation of natural sound in the aircraft cockpit, designing warnings that represent the event to which they are alarming; and evaluation of the perceived urgency of auditory warning systems. Part IV deals with alarms in a broader context - alarm mistrust, auditory feedback in man-machine interfaces; and speech-based alarm systems. The next part deals with case studies and practical issuesand, such as: designing aircraft warning systems; designing attention-catching sounds for high-workload environments; and auditory warnings in an intensive care unit. The final chapter of the book sums up the key topics in the book.