How auditory sensations affect human emotional responses to acoustic environments

Area of Science:

• Environmental Psychology
• Psychoacoustics
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Natural and built environments significantly influence human emotions and well-being.
• Auditory perception plays a crucial role in how individuals experience their surroundings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically examine the impact of low-level auditory sensations on human emotions.
• To investigate the relationship between standardized psychoacoustic parameters and emotional responses (subjective and physiological).

Main Methods:

• A laboratory listening experiment involving 33 participants.
• Exposure to 36 binaural recordings from diverse acoustic environments.
• Measurement of subjective emotional feelings and physiological responses (electrodermal activity).

Main Results:

• Auditory sensations significantly affect the Arousal dimension of emotion, both subjectively and physiologically, but not Pleasantness.
• Loudness and Roughness primarily influence Relaxation-Stress and Arousal.
• Impulsiveness and Sharpness impact Boredom-Excitement; Fluctuation, Tonality, and Tonality Frequency affect Arousal and Boredom-Excitement.

Conclusions:

• Low-level auditory sensations have a direct impact on human emotional states.
• Specific psychoacoustic parameters can be leveraged to modulate emotional responses.
• Findings provide practical guidelines for designing environments that enhance well-being through sound.