Assessments of Acoustic Environments by Emotions – The Application of Emotion Theory in Soundscape

Abstract

Human beings respond to their immediate environments in a variety of ways, with emotion playing a cardinal role. In evolutionary theories, emotions are thought to prepare an organism for action. The interplay of acoustic environments, emotions, and evolutionary needs are currently subject to discussion in soundscape research. Universal definitions of emotion and its nature are currently missing, but there seems to be a fundamental consensus that emotions are internal, evanescent, mostly conscious, relational, manifest in different forms, and serve a purpose. Research in this area is expanding, particularly in regards to the context-related, affective, and emotional processing of environmental stimuli. A number of studies present ways to determine the nature of emotions elicited by a soundscape and to measure these reliably. Yet the crucial question—which basic and complex emotions are triggered and how they relate to affective appraisal—has still not been conclusively answered. To help frame research on this topic, an overview of the theoretical background is presented that applies emotion theory to soundscape. Two latent fundamental dimensions are often found at the center of theoretical concepts of emotion: valence and arousal. These established universal dimensions can also be applied in the context of emotions that are elicited by soundscapes. Another, and perhaps more familiar, parallel is found between emotion and music. However, acoustic environments are more subtle than musical arrangements, rarely applying the compositional and artistic considerations frequently used in music. That said, the measurement of emotion in the context of soundscape studies is only of additional value if some fundamental inquiries are sufficiently answered: To what extent does the reporting act itself alter emotional responses? Are all important affective qualities consciously accessible and directly measurable by self-reports? How can emotion related to the environment be separated from affective predisposition? By means of a conceptual analysis of relevant soundscape publications, the consensus and conflicts on these fundamental questions in the light of soundscape theory are highlighted and needed research actions are framed. The overview closes with a proposed modification to an existing, standardized framework to include the meaning of emotion in the design of soundscapes.

COVID-19 Impacts on Historic Soundscape Perception and Site Usage

“…To consider the breadth of human feelings and emotions elicited by acoustic environments, different emotional dimensions [21] are usually considered. These follow current trends in soundscape research, as the affective quality of acoustic environments has gained significance in studies [22]. Axelsson et al derived a multi-dimensional model of perceived affective quality in the context of soundscape, which consists of the orthogonal dimensions pleasantness, eventfulness, and familiarity [23]; the same dimensions were also adopted by the international technical specification ISO/TS 12913-2 in defining multiple rating scales used in determining the affective quality of acoustic environments [20].…”

“…Attribute pairs that were used primarily to describe preference through enjoyment or enlivening surroundings were limited to pleasant-unpleasant, acceptable-unacceptable and comfortable-uncomfortable, which also cover the commonly used valence dimension [21]. Further pairs of attributes focused on the arousal [21] and eventfulness dimensions as it is frequently named in the context of soundscape [22]. The soundwalks allowed the importance of the context provided through instruction to be systematically investigated and the meaning of intellectual appraisal-related attributes to be explored.…”

Affective Voice Interaction and Artificial Intelligence: A Research Study on the Acoustic Features of Gender and the Emotional States of the PAD Model

“…According to research within psychology and the neurosciences, there is extensive interaction between the emotions and cognition of humans (Osuna et al, 2020 ), displaying behavioral and psychological features (Fiebig et al, 2020 ) that have a profound impact on the expression, tone, and posture behavior of people in daily life (Scherer, 2003 ; Ivanović et al, 2015 ; Poria et al, 2017 ). In the past 20 decades, studies on emotions have increased significantly (Wang et al, 2020 ).…”

Thinking Outside the Park: Connecting Visitors’ Sound Affect in a Nature-Based Tourism Setting with Perceptions of Their Urban Home and Work Soundscapes

“…Between 2000 and 2010, a series of studies helped to evolve the understanding of the perceptual attributes of urban soundscapes through verbal descriptors that were obtained by open-ended questionnaires and/or semantic differential assessment methods [49][50][51]. Although studies differed, some common themes emerged.…”