The application of the Psychoacoustics Perception Scale (PPS) in the measurement of soundscape with low-frequency traffic noise

Abstract

In urban environments, road traffic noise is a significant source of low-frequency sounds. Recent research has revealed that the way humans perceive sounds is mainly determined by three perceptual dimensions, namely Evaluation (E), Potency (P), and Activity (A). The Psychoacoustics Perception Scale (PPS) is a valid and reliable psychometric tool that can be used to quantitatively evaluate the human general judgment (E), sensitivity to the magnitude (P), and sensation of the temporal and spectral compositions of sounds (A), respectively. The aim of this study was to evaluate the help of the PPS in assessing the urban environments with low-frequency road traffic noise. The assessments of the urban environments are in consist of the objective measurement of acoustic and psychoacoustic metrics and the subjective measurement of using the PPS. The statistical analysis results showed that the scores of PPS were the significant predictors of the soundscape gradings of the road traffic noise. The application of the PPS will be a holistic approach to improve the measurement, analysis, and evaluation of soundscape with low-frequency traffic noise to the current standards.