Development of soundscape evaluation method: an application of Psychoacoustics Perception Scale (PPS)

Abstract

There is a growing awareness of the standard development for soundscape evaluation. Although soundscape evaluation of environmental noise is not a new concept, the heterogenous between the soundscape studies will increase the difficulty in integrating the findings of the studies. Recently, the findings of the fundamental human perceptual dimensions of sounds and the design of the Psychoacoustics Perception Scale (PPS) provided an insightful solution to the development of soundscape evaluation. The perceptual model, called EPA model, was designed to quantitively assess the context content of acoustic environments regarding the human general judgment (Evaluation, E), sensitivity to the magnitude (Potency, P), and sensation of the temporal and spectral compositions (Activity, A) of sounds by using the PPS. In this study, the PPS was applied to the soundscape evaluation of various public urban spaces. The construct validity of the EPA model by the PPS was verified. The application of the PPS in soundscape evaluation will be a novel and practical way in the standard development of soundscape evaluation.