The influence of human behavioral characteristics on soundscape perception in urban parks: Subjective and observational approaches

Abstract

With an emphasis on the role of parks in urban environments, studies on soundscape, which assess sound quality, have focused on human perception. In particular, various studies have been conducted on the relationship between human behavioral characteristics and their sound environment. However, there is still insufficient research on human behavioral characteristics in the context of urban parks. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of human behavioral characteristics on perceptions of soundscapes in urban parks. Participants were asked to subjectively evaluate the soundscapes of three parks in Paris, France, using three cognitive stages: indicators (perceived audio and visual elements), emotions (semantic expression), and cognition (overall quality of the park’s soundscape). The human behavioral characteristics that the participants witnessed were categorized into whether there was social interaction, whether people remained in the park or were passing through, and what kind of activities took place. To secure high ecological validity, audio-visual information was provided to the participants using virtual reality equipment. The results demonstrated that sounds made by other people decreased the perceived tranquility or peacefulness while the experience of the park as being dynamic and lively increased. We also found that the primary determinant of park preferences was not the type of human activities but the presence or absence of people.