Abstract
The overarching aim of the OPTIMA I project is to develop a conceptual and methodological framework that lays the foundation for systematic cognitive load research in the field of audio description (AD) for film. AD is a service that translates visual and unclear aural elements of the film into a verbal narration so that people suffering from sight loss can better understand the film. It is a well-known fact that a verbal discourse that creates a cognitive load that is too high or too low compromises understanding and may even lead to complete disengagement.
So far, there has hardly been any cognitive research in the field of AD, and various fundamental questions have not been answered yet: on the one hand, we do not know yet what different features in the AD soundtrack influence cognitive load. On the other hand, we lack the necessary knowledge to conduct experimental research that can measure cognitive load in AD: we do not know yet how the features in the AD soundtrack can best be operationalized or what tools are best suited to measure cognitive load in visually impaired audiences.
The OPTIMA I project wants to contribute to answering those questions with two distinct aims:
1) The project will focus on one specific parameter that is known to influence cognitive load in verbal discourse in general and in the processing of AD in specific, namely narration speed. More in particular, the project will duly conceptualise and operationalize this parameter as a starting point for experimental research that will measure its impact on cognitive load;
2) The project will develop a methodology that will allow for a reliable and accurate measurement of cognitive load in AD based on both subjective measures, such as questionnaires and objective measures, such as heart rate variability and galvanic skin response.
Finally, these two aims will be combined in an experiment that tests the impact of different narration speeds on the cognitive load imposed on AD users with different degrees of visual impairment, to determine what constitutes an optimal narration speed in Dutch AD.
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