1st Edition
Auditory Cognition and Human Performance Research and Applications
Hearing and understanding sound — auditory processing — greatly enriches everyday life and enhances our ability to perform many tasks essential to survival. The complex soundscape in which we live influences where we direct our attention, how we communicate with each other, and how we interact with technological systems. Auditory Cognition and Human Performance: Research and Applications explores how we accomplish this no less than remarkable task. It provides an overview of key auditory sensation and perception topics and mental workload theory, providing those who may be unfamiliar with these topics a foundation on which to understand applied auditory cognition.
The book examines the relationship between auditory cognition and human performance, highlighting the nature of situations in which the mental resource requirements of auditory processing may be compromised. It focuses on the importance of increasing our understanding of auditory cognition and its relationship to human performance. Written in an accessible and engaging style, this book balances coverage of basic and applied research, supplies copious examples to explain key concepts, and includes extensive references for further reading and exploration. Bringing together coverage of sensory and cognitive processes, the author discusses how their interaction can be used to improve display design.
Despite the relative neglect that auditory processing has received in earlier years, the auditory modality remains a potent source of information with several advantageous and unique characteristics. Over the past two decades there has been a growing base of empirical research on auditory cognition and its role in human performance at work and in everyday life. This book points out many of the questions that have yet to be resolved and provides the understanding needed to design more effective auditory displays, make better alerts and warnings, and improve communications and a wide variety of other things.
Hearing: The Neglected Sense
Introduction
The Battle of the Senses: Vision versus Audition
Early Human Performance Research
Early Developments in Modern Cognitive Psychology
Sensation and Perception Research
Scope of This Book
Concluding Remarks
The Auditory World
Introduction
Sources of Sound
Sources of Sound in Work Environments
Sources of Sound in the Cockpit
In-Vehicle Auditory Telematics
Sounds in Medical Care Environments
Auditory Devices for the Visually Impaired
Summary
Concluding Remarks
Auditory Pattern Perception: The Auditory Processing System
Introduction
Characteristics of Sound Perception
The Sound Stimulus
Music Processing
Essential Auditory Processes
Summary
Concluding Remarks
Auditory Cognition: The Role of Attention and Cognition in Auditory Processing
Introduction
Attention
Early Attention Research
The Information-Processing Approach
Working Memory
Serial versus Parallel Processing
Artificial Neural Networks
Summary
Concluding Remarks
Theories and Techniques of Mental Workload Assessment
Introduction
Limited-Capacity Models
Resource Theories
Working Memory Processes
Multiple Resources—Multiple Networks
Mental Workload: Key Constructs
Mental Workload Assessment
Summary
Concluding Remarks
Auditory Tasks in Cognitive Research
Introduction
Historical Beginnings
Dichotic Listening Tasks
Encoding and Retrieval Processes
Auditory Task Indices of Working Memory
Psychological Refractory Period
Mental Workload Assessment
Auditory Neuropsychological Tests
Auditory Tasks in Cognitive Aging Research
Summary
Concluding Remarks
Nonverbal Sounds and Workload
Introduction
Auditory Perceptual Organization
Auditory Object Recognition
Music
Music Defined
Music and Performance
Music and Cognition
The Mozart Effect
Musical Training
Noise
Chronic Noise Exposure
Auditory Vigilance
Summary
Concluding Remarks
Mental Workload and Speech Processing
Introduction
Chapter Overview
Speech-Processing Challenges
Lexical Selection
Syntactical Level
Approaches to Speech-Processing Theory
Models of Word Recognition
Parameters Influencing Mental Workload
Applications
Summary
Concluding Remarks
Cross-Modal Influences in Sound and Speech
Introduction
Verbal and Visual Codes
Language by Ear and by Eye
Cross-Modal Links
Audiovisual Speech
Cross-Modal Spatial Attention
Time-Sharing Auditory and Visual Tasks
Summary
Concluding Remarks
Auditory Processing and the Older Adult
Introduction
Age-Related Changes in Auditory Processing
Age-Related Changes in Hearing
Age-Related Cognitive Changes
Age-Related Changes in Speech Processing
Strategy Differences and Compensation
Age-Related Design
Summary
Concluding Remarks
Auditory Display Design
Introduction
Advantages of Auditory Displays
Auditory Display Challenges
Psychoacoustics of Auditory Displays
Data Sonification
Auditory Displays in Complex Environments
Summary
Concluding Remarks
References
Index
