Elena Samoylenko

Systematic Analysis of Verbalizations Produced in Comparing Musical Timbres

A method of verbal protocol analysis is presented in which verbal units used to compare sound events are extracted from the protocols and analysed from three general points of view: (1) their logical sense, (2) their stimulus-relatedness, and (3) their semantic content. At each level, several analysis steps progressively label the verbal units from hierarchically superior to inferior levels (with increasing differentiation as one descends the hierarchy). The technique shows great reliability across analyses by independent experts. It was applied to an investigation of timbre comparisons in which Russian nonmusician subjects rated the dissimilarity of timbres presented in pairs and described verbally their similarities and differences. The technique demonstrates an effectiveness in revealing differences in focus on perceptual attributes of timbre that contribute to inter- and intra-subject discrepancies in dissimilarity ratings. Further, as concerns identification of the sound sources producing the events,...

Psychological Methods for the Study of Augmented Environments

In this chapter, some psychological perspectives to study activities in Augmented Environments are outlined. Main concepts related to theories of activity are discussed namely, subjects’ goals and motives as well as tools used during its realization. It is argued that knowledge about the structure of the users’ activity facilitates elaborates the corresponding techniques of its recording and analysis. An overview of the so called “perceived quality” approach is given and the questions about what is perceived by individual (group) as the actor of digitized environment as well as about how to study the perceived quality of such environments are discussed. Several examples of results obtained using this approach are presented.

Cognition et communication: Un paradigme de recherche et d’application

The paradigm ‘Cognition and Communication’ has served as a methodological basis for interdisciplinary studies carried out within the framework of Franco-Russian research projects in the field of psychology. The importance of investigating human cognition and activity in relationship with communication processes has been taken as a starting-point for these studies. This 25-year collaboration has made possible the development of new perspectives (e.g. the perceived quality approach) and research methods (e.g. techniques of free verbalization analysis) as well as their application in field studies. This collaboration has also resulted in a fruitful exchange of theoretical approaches among French and Russian researchers. The studies carried out in the field of cognition and communication have involved a number of disciplines: general, experimental and social psychology, ergonomics and education. This article presents a synthesis of a number of results obtained within the framework of Franco-Russian projects as well as various perspectives for future collaboration.