Motorized Recreation Sounds Influence Nature Scene Evaluations: The Role of Attitude Moderators.

Jacob Benfield,David Weinzimmer,B D Taff,Peter Newman

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00495

Jacob Benfield, David Weinzimmer + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00495

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Abstract

Soundscape assessment takes many forms, including letting the consequences of the soundscape be an indicator of soundscape quality or value. As a result, much social science research has been conducted to better quantify problem soundscapes and the subsequent effects on humans exposed to them. Visual evaluations of natural environments are one area where research has consistently shown detrimental effects of noisy or anthropogenic soundscapes (e.g., those containing noise from motorized recreation), but the potential moderating role of individual attitudes toward elements within the soundscape has not been sufficiently explored. This study demonstrates that both pro-motorized recreation and pro-motorized recreation management attitudes can alter the effect of motorized recreation noise on scenic evaluations in opposing directions. Pro-recreation attitudes lessen the effect of the soundscape, while pro-management attitudes heighten the negative effect of anthropogenic sounds on scenic evaluation. The implications for other areas of soundscape research, especially with regard to soundscape quality assessment through experienced outcomes, are discussed, including possible strategies for prioritizing known or relevant moderating variables.

Highlights

Soundscapes represent a dynamic, complex system of auditory stimuli that can encompass both objective and subjective properties (Bell et al, 2001)
Previous research has consistently demonstrated a deleterious effect of anthropogenic noise on scenic evaluations and affect (e.g., Mace et al, 1999; Weinzimmer et al, 2014), but the examination of moderating variables within this type of soundscape assessment has been limited to situational characteristics such as the cause (Mace et al, 2003) or location (Benfield et al, 2010) of the noise
The current study demonstrated that the individual-level characteristics of attitudes toward motorized recreation noise and soundscape management can affect the severity of anthropogenic noise-related outcomes in simulated natural recreation environments

Summary

Introduction

Soundscapes represent a dynamic, complex system of auditory stimuli that can encompass both objective and subjective properties (Bell et al, 2001). An outdoor concert held at the Acropolis in Athens, Greece creates a soundscape rich with physical stimuli. These include elements such as pitch or intensity, both able to be measured via instrumentation of varied types, while the content of the music itself, combined with the historic location, can embody more subjective properties, such as joy or sorrow, to those in attendance. The measurement of that subjective experience and the assessment of how the soundscape drives the effect utilize completely different methods and instrumentation.

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