Listening to urban soundscapes: Physiological validity of perceptual dimensions

Amy Irwin; Deborah A. Hall; Andrew Peters; Christopher J. Plack

doi:10.1111/j.1469-8986.2010.01051.x

Listening to urban soundscapes: Physiological validity of perceptual dimensions

Amy Irwin, Deborah A. Hall, Andrew Peters, Christopher J. Plack

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Predominantly, the impact of environmental noise is measured using sound level, ignoring the influence of other factors on subjective experience. The present study tested physiological responses to natural urban soundscapes, using functional magnetic resonance imaging and vector cardiogram. City-based recordings were matched in overall sound level (71 decibel A-weighted scale), but differed on ratings of pleasantness and vibrancy. Listening to soundscapes evoked significant activity in a number of auditory brain regions. Compared with soundscapes that evoked no (neutral) emotional response, those evoking a pleasant or unpleasant emotional response engaged an additional neural circuit including the right amygdala. Ratings of vibrancy had little effect overall, and brain responses were more sensitive to pleasantness than was heart rate. A novel finding is that urban soundscapes with similar loudness can have dramatically different effects on the brain's response to the environment. Copyright © 2010 Society for Psychophysiological Research.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	258-268
Number of pages	10
Journal	Psychophysiology
Volume	48
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8986.2010.01051.x
Publication status	Published - Feb 2011

Keywords

Cognition
FMRA/PET/MRI
Heart rate
Normal volunteers
Sensation/perception

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10.1111/j.1469-8986.2010.01051.x

Manchester Centre for Audiology and Deafness (ManCAD)
Munro, K. (PI), Millman, R. (PI), Lamb, W. (Support team), Dawes, P. (PI), Plack, C. (PI), Stone, M. (PI), Kluk-De Kort, K. (PI), Moore, D. (PI), Morton, C. (PI), Prendergast, G. (PI), Couth, S. (PI), Schlittenlacher, J. (PI), Chilton, H. (PI), Visram, A. (Researcher), Dillon, H. (PI), Guest, H. (Researcher), Heinrich, A. (PI), Jackson, I. (Researcher), Littlejohn, J. (Researcher), Jones, L. (PI), Lough, M. (Researcher), Morgan, R. (Researcher), Perugia, E. (Researcher), Roughley, A. (Researcher), Whiston, H. (Researcher), Wright, C. (Support team), Saunders, G. (PI), Kelly, C. (PI), Cross, H. (Researcher), Loughran, M. (Researcher) & Hoseinabadi, R. (PI)
Project: Research

Cite this

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title = "Listening to urban soundscapes: Physiological validity of perceptual dimensions",

abstract = "Predominantly, the impact of environmental noise is measured using sound level, ignoring the influence of other factors on subjective experience. The present study tested physiological responses to natural urban soundscapes, using functional magnetic resonance imaging and vector cardiogram. City-based recordings were matched in overall sound level (71 decibel A-weighted scale), but differed on ratings of pleasantness and vibrancy. Listening to soundscapes evoked significant activity in a number of auditory brain regions. Compared with soundscapes that evoked no (neutral) emotional response, those evoking a pleasant or unpleasant emotional response engaged an additional neural circuit including the right amygdala. Ratings of vibrancy had little effect overall, and brain responses were more sensitive to pleasantness than was heart rate. A novel finding is that urban soundscapes with similar loudness can have dramatically different effects on the brain's response to the environment. Copyright {\textcopyright} 2010 Society for Psychophysiological Research.",

keywords = "Cognition, FMRA/PET/MRI, Heart rate, Normal volunteers, Sensation/perception",

author = "Amy Irwin and Hall, {Deborah A.} and Andrew Peters and Plack, {Christopher J.}",

year = "2011",

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doi = "10.1111/j.1469-8986.2010.01051.x",

language = "English",

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AU - Irwin, Amy

AU - Hall, Deborah A.

AU - Peters, Andrew

AU - Plack, Christopher J.

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N2 - Predominantly, the impact of environmental noise is measured using sound level, ignoring the influence of other factors on subjective experience. The present study tested physiological responses to natural urban soundscapes, using functional magnetic resonance imaging and vector cardiogram. City-based recordings were matched in overall sound level (71 decibel A-weighted scale), but differed on ratings of pleasantness and vibrancy. Listening to soundscapes evoked significant activity in a number of auditory brain regions. Compared with soundscapes that evoked no (neutral) emotional response, those evoking a pleasant or unpleasant emotional response engaged an additional neural circuit including the right amygdala. Ratings of vibrancy had little effect overall, and brain responses were more sensitive to pleasantness than was heart rate. A novel finding is that urban soundscapes with similar loudness can have dramatically different effects on the brain's response to the environment. Copyright © 2010 Society for Psychophysiological Research.

AB - Predominantly, the impact of environmental noise is measured using sound level, ignoring the influence of other factors on subjective experience. The present study tested physiological responses to natural urban soundscapes, using functional magnetic resonance imaging and vector cardiogram. City-based recordings were matched in overall sound level (71 decibel A-weighted scale), but differed on ratings of pleasantness and vibrancy. Listening to soundscapes evoked significant activity in a number of auditory brain regions. Compared with soundscapes that evoked no (neutral) emotional response, those evoking a pleasant or unpleasant emotional response engaged an additional neural circuit including the right amygdala. Ratings of vibrancy had little effect overall, and brain responses were more sensitive to pleasantness than was heart rate. A novel finding is that urban soundscapes with similar loudness can have dramatically different effects on the brain's response to the environment. Copyright © 2010 Society for Psychophysiological Research.

KW - Cognition

KW - FMRA/PET/MRI

KW - Heart rate

KW - Normal volunteers

KW - Sensation/perception

U2 - 10.1111/j.1469-8986.2010.01051.x

DO - 10.1111/j.1469-8986.2010.01051.x

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VL - 48

SP - 258

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JO - Psychophysiology

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Listening to urban soundscapes: Physiological validity of perceptual dimensions

Abstract

Keywords

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Manchester Centre for Audiology and Deafness (ManCAD)

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