ABSTRACT
Blattner et al. (1989) suggest that there may be some principles common to visual symbols (icons) and auditory messages (earcons) in transmitting information to the user of a computer system. Earcons, have been divided into two classes, in the same way as icons, known as representational and abstract. Representational earcons am perhaps the easiest to design in that they sound like the thing they represent to some degree. This requires that the representational object has a sound, and that the sound will be recognized and easily interpreted by the human observer. Gaver (1986) investigated symbolic (e.g. applause for approval) nomic (e.g. the sound of a closing metal cabinet for the closing of a file) and metaphoric (e.g. falling pitch for a falling object) mappings for representational earcons. He suggested that representations need not be realistic, but they should capture the essential features of the thing they represent if they are to be successful. Other research shows that the essential psychological features of events are conveyed through particular acoustic aspects of those events. Abstract earcons, on the other hand,
require the development of a distinctive audio pattern which appears to be very like the construction of traditional auditory alarms. There are problems with the use of abstract sounds, because they can often be associated with several different types of meaning, which could result in confusion. However, some traditional sounds may already contain meaning, e.g. the symbolism of the fire bell. Gaver’s classification (i.e. symbolic, nomic, and metaphoric) enables us to reinterpret sounds and understand the type of information they contain.
