# Representation of negative numbers: point estimation tasks using multi-reference sonification mappings

## TL;DR

The study explores how to effectively represent negative numbers in auditory graphs for both sighted and visually impaired users, using multiple reference tones to improve performance.

## Contribution

A novel method for representing negative numbers in auditory graphs using a component representation approach with a shared positive reference and added sign.

## Key findings

- Both sighted and visually impaired users performed well in point estimation tasks using multi-reference sonification.
- Visually impaired participants outperformed sighted participants in auditory graph tasks with multiple reference tones.
- The component representation approach improved accuracy in representing the polarity sign of negative numbers.

## Abstract

In this study, we examine different approaches to the presentation of Y coordinates in mobile auditory graphs, including the representation of negative numbers. These studies involved both normally sighted and visually impaired users, as there are applications where normally sighted users might employ auditory graphs, such as the unseen monitoring of stocks, or fuel consumption in a car. Multi-reference sonification schemes are investigated as a means of improving the performance of mobile non-visual point estimation tasks. The results demonstrated that both populations are able to carry out point estimation tasks with a good level of performance when presented with auditory graphs using multiple reference tones. Additionally, visually impaired participants performed better on graphs represented in this format than normally sighted participants. This work also implements the component representation approach for negative numbers to represent the mapping by using the same positive mapping reference for the digit and adding a sign before the digit which leads to a better accuracy of the polarity sign. This work contributes to the areas of the design process of mobile auditory devices in human-computer interaction and proposed a methodological framework related to improving auditory graph performance in graph reproduction.