2:45 PM - 3:00 PM
[HTT17-05] Method of Spatial Structure based on Sound Environment
Keywords:Cognive Distance, Factor Analysis, GIS, Fourier Analysis
1. Introduction
In recent years, the number of people working from home has increased in Japan, particularly after the Covid-19 pandemic. As people stay at home for a long periods of time, they place more importance on having a good living condition for work. However, this heightened consciousness may cause some problems and stress. For instance, the number of noise complaints is increasing. Some people in Japan have also complained about the voices of children. This issue will come up for discussion in the Committee on Health, Labour and Welfare, and Prime Minister Kishida said that we need to change our perspective. Thus, in this study an attempt was made to explore the relationship between the sounds in urban spaces and their psychological impression.
2. Purpose and methods of the research
The purpose of this study is to analyze urban sounds and understand their psychological effects. In other words, we will try to express the spatial structure in urban areas in terms of their sound environments.
To evaluate the psychological characteristics, we focused on cognitive distance based on auditory information. This is because we considered cognitive distance to be one of the most important aspects for expressing psychological effects about the urban sounds. In addition, there are only a few studies on cognitive distance based on auditory information. Part of our purpose is also to suggest methods for creating an experimental environment to measure cognitive distance based on auditory information.
We conducted two questionnaire surveys to evaluate the impressions of sounds. The first survey is about human voices. The second survey is about urban sounds. Their purpose is the same, and that is to obtain and evaluate impressions of sounds. Next, we conducted an experimental investigation to capture cognitive distance based on auditory information. To carry out this investigation, we created an experimental environment. Additionally, we analyzed the sounds which we used for experimental investigation by using Fourier Analysis to obtain their physical properties.
3. Questionnaire survey
In first questionnaire, we used the Semantic Differential Scale Method and prepared three types of human voice sounds. In addition, we asked a question about spatial awareness. This question was on a 5-point Likert scale. As a result of this survey, we obtained four types of principal components, but could not establish the relationship between spatial awareness and principal components.
In the second questionnaire, we prepared six types of sounds using the same Semantic Differential Scale. The six types of sounds were sounds typically heard in urban areas, such as construction noise. As a result of this survey, we could obtain four types of principal components. Though part of the results were different from the first survey, we still could not grasp the relationship between spatial awareness and the principal components. From these results, we considered that the impression of sounds can be divided into four types of principal components and it is challenging to grasp the spatial awareness by using questionnaire surveys alone.
4. Experimental investigation
Along with the two questionnaire surveys, we conducted an experimental investigation. The purpose of the investigation was to capture cognitive distance based on auditory information. We created the experimental environment using the six types of sound as in the second questionnaire survey. The purpose was to compare the principal components and cognitive distance. As a result of this investigation, we were able to measure the cognitive distance of the six types of sound.
5. In conclusion
In this study, we could obtain the correspondence between impression evaluations and cognitive distance. In addition, we expressed positional relationship of sounds in the city on GIS.
In recent years, the number of people working from home has increased in Japan, particularly after the Covid-19 pandemic. As people stay at home for a long periods of time, they place more importance on having a good living condition for work. However, this heightened consciousness may cause some problems and stress. For instance, the number of noise complaints is increasing. Some people in Japan have also complained about the voices of children. This issue will come up for discussion in the Committee on Health, Labour and Welfare, and Prime Minister Kishida said that we need to change our perspective. Thus, in this study an attempt was made to explore the relationship between the sounds in urban spaces and their psychological impression.
2. Purpose and methods of the research
The purpose of this study is to analyze urban sounds and understand their psychological effects. In other words, we will try to express the spatial structure in urban areas in terms of their sound environments.
To evaluate the psychological characteristics, we focused on cognitive distance based on auditory information. This is because we considered cognitive distance to be one of the most important aspects for expressing psychological effects about the urban sounds. In addition, there are only a few studies on cognitive distance based on auditory information. Part of our purpose is also to suggest methods for creating an experimental environment to measure cognitive distance based on auditory information.
We conducted two questionnaire surveys to evaluate the impressions of sounds. The first survey is about human voices. The second survey is about urban sounds. Their purpose is the same, and that is to obtain and evaluate impressions of sounds. Next, we conducted an experimental investigation to capture cognitive distance based on auditory information. To carry out this investigation, we created an experimental environment. Additionally, we analyzed the sounds which we used for experimental investigation by using Fourier Analysis to obtain their physical properties.
3. Questionnaire survey
In first questionnaire, we used the Semantic Differential Scale Method and prepared three types of human voice sounds. In addition, we asked a question about spatial awareness. This question was on a 5-point Likert scale. As a result of this survey, we obtained four types of principal components, but could not establish the relationship between spatial awareness and principal components.
In the second questionnaire, we prepared six types of sounds using the same Semantic Differential Scale. The six types of sounds were sounds typically heard in urban areas, such as construction noise. As a result of this survey, we could obtain four types of principal components. Though part of the results were different from the first survey, we still could not grasp the relationship between spatial awareness and the principal components. From these results, we considered that the impression of sounds can be divided into four types of principal components and it is challenging to grasp the spatial awareness by using questionnaire surveys alone.
4. Experimental investigation
Along with the two questionnaire surveys, we conducted an experimental investigation. The purpose of the investigation was to capture cognitive distance based on auditory information. We created the experimental environment using the six types of sound as in the second questionnaire survey. The purpose was to compare the principal components and cognitive distance. As a result of this investigation, we were able to measure the cognitive distance of the six types of sound.
5. In conclusion
In this study, we could obtain the correspondence between impression evaluations and cognitive distance. In addition, we expressed positional relationship of sounds in the city on GIS.