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9
Totally
acceptable
Birds
8
Water
Control
7
6
Kids playing
Airplane
Truck
Marginal
5
4
3
2
Totally
unacceptable
1
0
5
10
20
40
Number of Hikers
70
110
160
220
290
370
460
Fig. 10.5 Level of acceptability of different types of sounds for different numbers of hikers (With
permission from Kim and Shelby 2011 )
four soundtracks: natural sounds (birds and breeze), natural sounds with mechanical
ground traffic added, and natural sounds with human voice added. The soundtrack
was reproduced at three levels of loudness: control (40-45 dB(A), that was the
background noise in the experimental room, soundtrack added at 40-45 dB(A), and
soundtrack added at 60-65 dB(A). The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule
Expanded Form (PANAS-X) were used to calibrate 60 emotion adjectives rated
on a 5-point Lickert scale (Watson and Clark 1994 ). The results confirm that every
added soundtrack of mechanical or human origin decreased the rating, and this
effect was more evident at higher sound levels. In psychological terms, serenity was
decreased and hostility increased. These effects were stronger for scenes of great
beauty. Noise in parks is discussed in terms of conflict between preservation and
recreation accessibility. In particular, noise produced by aircraft impacts in a direct
way the rating in park evaluation procedures; aircraft noise has produced a larger
variability in the responses than all the other administrated sounds. Ground traffic
was found impacting independently from the volume at which it was added.
The incongruence between aircraft noise, ground traffic, and human voices and
the expected sounds in natural parks decreases the rating in assessing quality.
Natural sound produces serenity and calming; anthropogenic sounds reduce
serenity and create hostility. Natural sounds seem to have a minor impact on the
natural assessment compared to anthropogenic sounds, which could be a good
indication for future management. These sounds generate a greater reaction in
listeners' shifting emotions.
Although many secondary aspects remain debated, the auditory soundscape has
an important role in assessing the quality of natural and historical areas. Managing
sounds in parks has as major an importance as managing scenic views.
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