earticle

영어

Alarm system performance is a critical aspect of safety. While existing research has extensively examined the influence of acoustic attributes on alarm performance, consonance’s impact remains largely uncharted territory. This study bridges this research gap by investigating the effect of consonance on alarm systems. We extend our investigation to encompass not only the sound characteristics of the alarm but also the acoustic qualities of the surrounding environment, recognizing their potential impact on alarm efficacy. Prior studies consistently link consonance to annoyance levels, resulting in a negative user experience. Thus, we explore the relationship between consonance and alarm system performance, with a particular focus on modulating annoyance as an explanatory factor. Utilizing an oddball paradigm, we categorized standard and oddball sounds into consonant and dissonant types, creating four sound combinations. Participants were asked to respond to the irregularly presented oddball sounds while ignoring the constantly presented standard sounds. Our results reveal significant differences between groups, with the Standard Consonant/Oddball Dissonant (SC/OD) group displaying notably slower response times than the Standard Dissonant/Oddball Consonant (SD/OC) group. This reaction time variation aligns with differences in annoyance levels, as the SC/OD group reports higher annoyance, suggesting that reaction time discrepancies may be linked to increased arousal due to heightened annoyance.