Continuous noise, intermittent noise, and annoyance.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Psychology
• Acoustics
• Psychoacoustics

Background:

• Annoyance from noise is a significant environmental stressor.
• Understanding factors influencing noise annoyance is crucial for public health and urban planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how different types of white noise (continuous, intermittent regular, intermittent irregular) affect perceived annoyance.
• To determine if noise annoyance is primarily driven by overall noise intensity or the presence of intermittency.

Main Methods:

• A within-subjects design with 18 participants who self-selected the intensity of white noise to be "clearly annoying."
• Three noise conditions were tested: continuous, intermittent regular (1.15s on/off), and intermittent irregular (0.25-1.65s on/off).
• Participants completed the Weinstein Noise Sensitivity Scale and Eysenck Personality Inventory.

Main Results:

• The mean "clearly annoying" intensity was significantly higher for intermittent noise (regular: 90 dB, irregular: 89.6 dB) compared to continuous noise (83.9 dB).
• No significant difference in annoyance was found between regular and irregular intermittent noise.
• Higher noise sensitivity scores correlated negatively with the chosen annoyance intensity.

Conclusions:

• Noise-induced annoyance appears to be more dependent on the overall amount of noise exposure rather than the mere presence or absence of intermittency.
• Individual noise sensitivity plays a role in perceived annoyance, while extraversion and neuroticism do not.
• These findings have implications for noise regulation and management strategies.