Developing and Selecting Auditory Warnings for a Real-Time Behavioral Intervention

John Bellettiere^1, , Suzanne C. Hughes¹, Sandy Liles¹, Marie Boman-Davis¹, Neil E. Klepeis¹, Elaine Blumberg¹, Jeff Mills¹, Vincent Berardi^{1, 2}, Saori Obayashi¹, T. Tracy Allen³ and Melbourne F. Hovell¹

¹Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, USA

²Computational Science Research Center, San Diego State University, San Diego, USA

³EME Systems LLC, Berkeley, USA

Cite this paper

John Bellettiere, Suzanne C. Hughes, Sandy Liles, Marie Boman-Davis, Neil E. Klepeis, Elaine Blumberg, Jeff Mills, Vincent Berardi, Saori Obayashi, T. Tracy Allen and Melbourne F. Hovell. Developing and Selecting Auditory Warnings for a Real-Time Behavioral Intervention. American Journal of Public Health Research. 2014; 2(6):232-238. doi: 10.12691/AJPHR-2-6-3

Abstract

Real-time sensing and computing technologies are increasingly used in the delivery of real-time health behavior interventions. Auditory signals play a critical role in many of these interventions, impacting not only behavioral response but also treatment adherence and participant retention. Yet, few behavioral interventions that employ auditory feedback report the characteristics of sounds used and even fewer design signals specifically for their intervention. This paper describes a four-step process used in developing and selecting auditory warnings for a behavioral trial designed to reduce indoor secondhand smoke exposure. In step one, relevant information was gathered from ergonomic and behavioral science literature to assist a panel of research assistants in developing criteria for intervention-specific auditory feedback. In step two, multiple sounds were identified through internet searches and modified in accordance with the developed criteria, and two sounds were selected that best met those criteria. In step three, a survey was conducted among 64 persons from the primary sampling frame of the larger behavioral trial to compare the relative aversiveness of sounds, determine respondents' reported behavioral reactions to those signals, and assess participant’s preference between sounds. In the final step, survey results were used to select the appropriate sound for auditory warnings. Ultimately, a single-tone pulse, 500 milliseconds (ms) in length that repeats every 270 ms for three cycles was chosen for the behavioral trial. The methods described herein represent one example of steps that can be followed to develop and select auditory feedback tailored for a given behavioral intervention.

Keywords

real-time feedback, warning sounds, behavioral intervention, auditory alerts, immediate feedback, auditory warning design, alarm design

Copyright

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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