Psychophysiological responses to changes in the acoustic design of concert halls

Abstract

This study examined the psychophysiological responses of listeners to changes in the acoustic environment design of a concert hall. The research focused on both general audiences and experts in order to analyze the design of the acoustic environment based on their psychological and physiological aspects. The study involved the measurement of architectural acoustics of the hall and sound source produced through auralization based on the impulse responses collected earlier and the acoustical parameters gathered for the analysis. Changes were implemented through a refurbishment condition by the alterations to finishing materials. The objective sound environment improvement was evaluated by analyzing the electroencephalogram response in relation to the highly evaluated acoustic environment of the hall and the sound condition from the existing acoustic environment. The study found significant changes in the area related to emotion, preference for the acoustic environment, fatigue through the HRV parameter, and EEG. The results confirmed that psychophysiological responses to changes in the acoustical design provide an objective evidence of better concert hall acoustics.