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Psychoacoustics in Soundscape Research

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Soundscapes: Humans and Their Acoustic Environment

Part of the book series: Springer Handbook of Auditory Research ((SHAR,volume 76))

Abstract

Usually when noise effects are considered with respect to well-being and health, A-weighted sound pressure level indicators are analyzed. However, several decades ago researchers started to use measurement methods to quantify auditory sensations in more detail. Later the soundscape pioneer Murray Schafer described acoustics and psychoacoustics as the cornerstones to understanding the physical properties of sound and the way sound is perceived. This approach emphasized that all aspects of soundscape are related to perception. Psychoacoustic data are considered for a more comprehensive evaluation of acoustic environments that goes beyond the simplified use of sound level indicators. Moreover, a key consideration is that acoustic environments are perceived binaurally by humans. Thus, measurement equipment that collects spatial information about the acoustic environments is increasingly being applied in soundscape investigations and consequently is suggested in soundscape standards. Following the soundscape concept, all measurements and analyses must reflect the way soundscape is perceived by people in the appropriate context. This insight led to an increase in research and applications of psychoacoustic measurements to understand the effects of acoustic environments on humans in more detail. Although the general value of psychoacoustics is broadly acknowledged in soundscape research, several research questions remain that must be addressed to fully understand the relevance of psychoacoustic properties in different environments and contexts.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. HEAD acoustics GmbH, Herzogenrath, Germany

    Klaus Genuit

  2. HEAD-Genuit Foundation, Herzogenrath, Germany

    Brigitte Schulte-Fortkamp

  3. Department of Engineering Acoustics, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany

    André Fiebig

Authors
  1. Klaus Genuit
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  2. Brigitte Schulte-Fortkamp
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  3. André Fiebig
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Klaus Genuit .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. HEAD-Genuit Foundation, Herzogenrath, Germany

    Brigitte Schulte-Fortkamp

  2. Department of Engineering Acoustics, Technical University Berlin, Berlin, Germany

    André Fiebig

  3. Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Joseph A. Sisneros

  4. Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA

    Arthur N. Popper

  5. Department of Psychology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Richard R. Fay

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Genuit, K., Schulte-Fortkamp, B., Fiebig, A. (2023). Psychoacoustics in Soundscape Research. In: Schulte-Fortkamp, B., Fiebig, A., Sisneros, J.A., Popper, A.N., Fay, R.R. (eds) Soundscapes: Humans and Their Acoustic Environment. Springer Handbook of Auditory Research, vol 76. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-22779-0_6

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