Two experiments explored audiovisual interactions when perceiving 40 video disc excerpts differing in degree of bimodal matching. For the 20 mismatched excerpts, the original relation between the audio and visual tracks was altered with respect to time or content. In Experiment 1, subjects rated audio and visual meaning on 22 scales in unimodal and bimodal contexts. They also rated the degree of matching of the audio and visual materials. Ratings of matching significantly differentiated the two sets of materials. Factor analysis for the unimodal and bimodal conditions produced a five-factor solution. Comparison of the results for matched and mismatched conditions implied an intention of balancing audio and visual meaning when the recordings were originally mastered for commercial use. In addition, for the higher-level factors of cleanness and uniqueness, audio meaning had a direct influence on visual meaning, but only for matched stimuli. For the lower-level brightness factor, the influence was independent of degree of matching. Thus, the phenomenon, termed consonance, depended on the degree of matching for higher-order factors. Cooperative interaction was also observed for the evaluative factor, for matched stimuli. In Experiment 2, audio materials were presented unimodally and bimodally with degraded (band-limited) quality as well as with original fidelity. Factor analysis revealed that video presentation compensated for negative effects of audio degradation independent of matching. Thus, the study revealed several kinds and levels of audiovisual interaction. Iwamiya 133This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers. This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.

The purpose of this paper is to present the concept and design of Technical Listening Training, a systematic education program designed to allow prospective acoustic engineers and sound designers to enhance their auditory sensitivity. Sound professionals should have the ability to express auditory differences using appropriate technical terms for the physical properties of sounds. Furthermore, they should be able to imagine the sounds when given the acoustic properties of the sounds. Training starts with a discrimination task for pitch, loudness, and timbre in order to increase sensitivity to auditory differences. This is followed by instruction on sound property identification to improve students' ability to correlate auditory impressions with the physical properties of the sound, thereby allowing them to imagine the sound. Through Technical Listening Training, students improve their sound sensitivity and understanding of the relationship between acoustic properties and auditory impression.

The Japanese Road Traffic Law states that a vehicle horn should be used only in an emergency or in dangerous locations where a horn sign has been installed. However, drivers frequently use their vehicle horn as a signal when passing each other. Furthermore, pedestrians and cyclists are also honked at by drivers. There may be a negative effect of vehicle horn use on people outside the vehicle. Therefore, a questionnaire survey was carried out to ascertain the current circumstances of vehicle horn use. Respondents were asked about the latest or last-remembered instance of horn use in various situations, both when they were driving and when they were pedestrians. With regard to experiences of being honked at by another driver, the questionnaire included questions concerning place, traffic volume, the aim of horn use, the timing pattern of horn use, and the respondent's psychological reaction when honked at by another driver. It was found that drivers briefly honked their horn to express gratitude, or to gain another's attention, in various places. Long honks such as one long honk or two long honks mostly evoked negative psychological reactions in drivers, such as a feeling that the sound of the horn was startling, noisy, or irritating. Furthermore, pedestrians frequently had negative psychological reactions to horns used to gain their attention or to alert them to danger. More than 40% of nondrivers were displeased with the volume and sound quality of horns.