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Listening to urban soundscapes: physiological validity of perceptual dimensions

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Listening to urban soundscapes: physiological validity of perceptual dimensions. / Irwin, Amy; Hall, Deborah A.; Peters, Andrew et al.
In: Psychophysiology, Vol. 48, No. 2, 02.2011, p. 258-268.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

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Irwin A, Hall DA, Peters A, Plack CJ. Listening to urban soundscapes: physiological validity of perceptual dimensions. Psychophysiology. 2011 Feb;48(2):258-268. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8986.2010.01051.x

Author

Irwin, Amy ; Hall, Deborah A. ; Peters, Andrew et al. / Listening to urban soundscapes : physiological validity of perceptual dimensions. In: Psychophysiology. 2011 ; Vol. 48, No. 2. pp. 258-268.

Bibtex

@article{8d8eb37488dc4cd497e489c66b97e4ac,
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.",
keywords = "Cognition, Sensation, perception, Normal volunteers, fMRA, PET, MRI, Heart rate, HUMAN AMYGDALA, AUDITORY-CORTEX, FMRI, NOISE, ACTIVATION, AROUSAL, BRAIN, SOUND, PICTURES, STIMULI",
author = "Amy Irwin and Hall, {Deborah A.} and Andrew Peters and Plack, {Christopher J.}",
year = "2011",
month = feb,
doi = "10.1111/j.1469-8986.2010.01051.x",
language = "English",
volume = "48",
pages = "258--268",
journal = "Psychophysiology",
issn = "0048-5772",
publisher = "John Wiley & Sons, Ltd (10.1111)",
number = "2",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Listening to urban soundscapes

T2 - physiological validity of perceptual dimensions

AU - Irwin, Amy

AU - Hall, Deborah A.

AU - Peters, Andrew

AU - Plack, Christopher J.

PY - 2011/2

Y1 - 2011/2

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.

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.

KW - Cognition

KW - Sensation

KW - perception

KW - Normal volunteers

KW - fMRA

KW - PET

KW - MRI

KW - Heart rate

KW - HUMAN AMYGDALA

KW - AUDITORY-CORTEX

KW - FMRI

KW - NOISE

KW - ACTIVATION

KW - AROUSAL

KW - BRAIN

KW - SOUND

KW - PICTURES

KW - STIMULI

U2 - 10.1111/j.1469-8986.2010.01051.x

DO - 10.1111/j.1469-8986.2010.01051.x

M3 - Journal article

VL - 48

SP - 258

EP - 268

JO - Psychophysiology

JF - Psychophysiology

SN - 0048-5772

IS - 2

ER -