MScIP Project 1999
BACKGROUND TO THE PROJECT
One focus of current research in the discipline of human-computer interaction is the development of alternatives to visual interfaces. The graphical user interface (GUI) is of limited use to people with visual impairment. Among the alternatives being explored are auditory interfaces which use speech and non-speech sound, including music.
The accessibility and effectiveness of auditory interfaces depend on the aural and musical perception of their users. This is often taken into account during the evaluation stage of interface design, where subjective user testing is the most common method employed. In order to compare interface use with level of musical awareness or ability, test participants are often classified as "musicians" or "non-musicians" on the basis of arbitrary criteria, such as ability to play an instrument.
If musical ability is to be accurately assessed and used as a variable
in auditory interface testing and evaluation, it must be measured in some
way. A method of measurement is required which accurately reflects an individual's
musical abilities and perceptions regardless of their musical background.
AIM
A method has been developed which attempts to measure musical abilities
relevant to auditory interface testing in the form of a suite of tests
known as "musical quotient", or "MQ", tests (Challis, Hankinson, and Edwards,
in press). Tests are proposed in the areas of pitch, rhythm, pitch and
rhythm combined, harmony, dynamics, and timbre. It is suggested that an
individual's results in the tests could be converted into a general musical
quotient, roughly equivalent to the intelligence quotient of the IQ tests,
or into several separate quotients. The aim of the project was to implement
and evaluate some of the proposed MQ tests.
METHOD
The project had four parts:
RESULTS
It is hoped that the results of this project will be sufficiently
conclusive to enable further research to be conducted on the MQ tests,
with a view to creating a recognised standard measure of musical ability
for the purposes of auditory interface testing. This would allow the careful
selection of test participants to reflect the whole spectrum of musical
ability. In this way, auditory interfaces could be developed which are
accessible to all, or which target users with identified ability or lack
of ability in particular areas of music.
