A Neuropsychological Theory of Sound Design: Implications for Auditory Icons in Vehicles

A main function of warning and info sounds in vehicles is to convey a sense of the needed action. For instance, a warning sound that is intended to signal “stop the vehicle” should lead to only that action. Hence, warning and info sounds should lead to correct, and furthermore, the same reaction, in all user. In experimental psychology, the degree to which the sound elicits the correct action would be described as “stimulusreaction compatibility” (Guski, 1997). While there is some ongoing research on how to design auditory signals to optimize stimulus-action compatibility, there is currently a lack of theory that can guide sound design. It is our aim to develop a novel framework for the design and assessment of warning and information sounds. Here we describe a brief outline of our framework and implications for the creation and assessment of warning and information sounds in vehicles.