Soundscape perception indices (SPIs): Developing context-dependent single value scores of multidimensional soundscape...

Area of Science:

• Acoustics
• Environmental Science
• Perception Science

Background:

• The soundscape approach offers a holistic view of sound environments.
• Current methods lack standardized ways to compare soundscapes or quantify perceptual improvements.
• A need exists for unified indices that integrate context, aural diversity, and design goals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a unified framework for creating single-value indices for soundscape perception.
• To enable the comparison of soundscapes and quantification of improvements.
• To establish a common language for defining and measuring soundscape quality.

Main Methods:

• A four-step test-target paradigm is introduced.
• Desired soundscape perception is defined as a target distribution within the soundscape circumplex.
• The two-dimensional Kolmogorov-Smirnov distance is used to compare assessed soundscapes against targets.

Main Results:

• A novel framework for bespoke and reference single index measures of soundscape perception is presented.
• The framework facilitates the definition of new metrics for soundscape assessment.
• A multi-objective optimization method for empirically defining perception indices is proposed.

Conclusions:

• The proposed framework addresses the need for standardized, multidimensional soundscape comparison.
• It allows for the creation of context-specific indices to evaluate and design sound environments.
• This approach advances the field of soundscape ecology and acoustic design.