Affective Design: Modulating the pleasantness and the forcefulness of areosol sprays by manipulating aerosol spraying sounds

We investigated whether people's perception of the pleasantness and forcefulness of aerosol sprays can be influenced by the particular sounds that aerosols make when used. Participants had to rate the pleasantness and forcefulness of aerosol samples sprayed either in front of them (Experiment 1) or else onto their own bodies (Experiment 2). The aerosol sprays were perceived as being significantly more pleasant (but significantly less forceful) when either the overall sound level elicited by the spraying action was reduced, or when just the high-frequency sounds were attenuated. These results provide a proof-of-principal demonstration that auditory cues can modulate the perceived pleasantness and forcefulness of aerosol sprays. The novel psychophysical approach to affective design outlined here enables a product designer or engineer to rapidly evaluate a range of potential new product sounds in order to ascertain the kind of sounds that consumers like to hear when using a product. We also outline some of the current challenges in this area, such as the need to develop more ecologically valid product sound manipulations for use in future research.