Inducing Mimicry Through Auditory Icons

TL;DR

This study investigates whether periodic and non-periodic auditory icon loops can induce mimicry in humans, finding that non-periodic icons representing natural behavior can significantly induce mimicry in males, with implications for persuasive technology design.

Contribution

It demonstrates that auditory icons representing natural behaviors can induce mimicry, especially in males, highlighting the importance of behavioral realism in auditory cues for persuasive tech.

Findings

Male participants mimicked non-periodic auditory icons significantly.

Female participants showed non-significant mimicry.

Periodic auditory icons did not induce mimicry in either sex.

Abstract

This study aims to find out if periodic auditory icon loop and non-periodic auditory icon loop can induce mimicry in humans. Auditory icons are snippet of everyday sounds used to represent information or processes. A within-subject, Oz-of-Wizard experiment was conducted among forty participants. The participants were asked to eat an apple while being exposed to different types of auditory icon loop. The loops were made using an auditory icon that plays the sound of crunchy apple bite. Both male and female participants were exposed to periodic auditory icon loop, with the auditory icon played every 10 second. Participants were also exposed to non-periodic auditory icon loop which uses the same auditory icon but was made to represent the eating behaviour of a real person of the same sex. The results show that only male participants mimicked the male non-periodic auditory icon loop. Although female participants mimicked the female auditory icon loop, the result is not significant. Both male and female did not mimic the periodic auditory icon loop. Thus, only auditory icons that represent normal biting pace can induce mimicry, significantly in male participants. The findings from this study has implications on the design of persuasive technology that uses auditory icons to encourage behavioural change.