Using Conceptual Metaphors to Represent Temporal Context in Time-Series Data Sonification

Abstract

This article explores how conceptual metaphor theory can be applied to the problem of representing temporal context in the sonification of time series data. It opens with an introduction to some of the conceptual metaphors involved in our understanding of time and music. Two of these metaphors are extended to the domain of Auditory Display and act as a guide to the creation of a design framework for representing temporal context in the sonification of time series data. An empirical listener evaluation of this framework is then presented and the results analysed to gauge the efficacy of this approach. The results suggest that the framework supports the listener, to a limited degree, in estimating which time-point they are currently hearing, how many time-points they have already heard and how many time-points they have left to hear. Improvements to the framework are suggested, and plans for future iterations are discussed.