Showing papers on "Annoyance published in 1977"

Noise, discomfort and mental health. A review of the socio-medical implications of disturbance by noise.

Abstract: The published work relating to the effects of noise on man and animals is reviewed from the standpoint of mental health. Evidence from a number of different disciplines shows that the presence of meaning in the noise is of critical importance in determining the persistence of physical reactions to the noise. The existing evidence linking noise with mental illness is found to be unsatisfactory. The concept of annoyance and the relevance of noise annoyance to mental illness are discussed. Some specific suggestions for further work are put forward.

On the Scaling of Annoyance Due to Environmental Factors

Abstract: A recurrent problem in sociological annoyance surveys is to scale the environmental variables quantitatively as they are perceived. Data from two surveys on malodors and noise are discussed within a framework of scaling theory. A Thurstonian scaling technique was applied to the category annoyance data. In the investigation of malodors a rather stable picture of the results of the annoyance reports was obtained independently of the assumptions made in data treatment. On the other hand, the results of the noise investigation indicate that paired comparisons may furnish a better procedure than verbal category scaling for data collection in surveys. Scales of annoyance from different populations will give different units of measurement, and annoyance scales cannot be compared adequately unless the scales are calibrated. A possible calibration procedure is to introduce a defined psychological unit of measurement into the data. Language: en

Burdens due to noise and air pollution in residents of areas near streets with heavy traffic

Abstract: The residents of different streets with varying traffic density and building density were questioned about annoyance due to traffic noise and air pollution. Frequency and extent of annoyance felt, effects of immissions on such living aspects as recreation, or communication, and also the reactions to the disturbance felt (such as closing windows and taking sleeping pills) were investigated. Noise levels as well as particulate matter and gaseous air pollutant concentrations were measured along the streets under investigation. The evaluation of 1300 questionaires showed that reactions to noise were different in different quarters although noise levels were the same. In general, about 40% of residents were heavily disturbed during daytime when the noise level Leq was around 65 dB(A); while for the same noise level at night about 55% reported to be heavily disturbed. Strong correlations were also obtained between annoyance due to noise and that due to air pollution. The results show that annoyance felt is dependent not only on the measured noise levels and/or air pollution concentrations, but that there do exist interactions between the residential quarters and annoyance. These interactions should be considered while fixing the limits and standards.

Subjective Ratings of Annoyance Produced by Rotary-Wing Aircraft Noise

Abstract: : Subjective ratings of annoyance caused by helicopter noise relative to that caused by fixed-wing aircraft were obtained. Comparison of the subjective ratings with various physical predictors of annoyance indicated that the integrated A-weighted level (dBA) predicted as well as any of the predictors with the D2-weighted level and EPNL almost equivalent. The B-weighted level and C-weighted level did not predict as well. No correction factor for the impulsive character (blade slap) of the helicopter noise was required. No substantial penalty for helicopters compared to fixed-wing aircraft noise was required. (Author)

Estimation of annoyance due to low level sound

Abstract: The concept of sound character is introduced as a physical attribute responsible for any systematic differences in annoyance due to different sounds at the same A-weighted equivalent sound level. It is thought that this sound character is more important at low sound levels than at high ones. A pilot experiment with refrigerator sounds indicated a clear effect of sound character. In particular, sharp onsets were shown to worsen the character of such sounds.

A comparison of a laboratory and field study of annoyance and acceptability of aircraft noise exposures

Abstract: Residents living in close, middle and distant areas from JFK Airport were included in a field interview and laboratory study. Judgments were made of simulated aircraft noise exposures of comparable community indoor noise levels and mixes of aircraft. Each group of subjects judged the levels of noise typical for its distance area. Four different numbers of flyovers were tested: less than average for each area, the approximate average, the peak number, or worst day, and above peak number. The major findings are: (1) the reported integrated field annoyance is best related to the annoyance reported for the simulated approximate worst day exposure in the laboratory; (2) annoyance is generally less when there are fewer aircraft flyovers, and the subject has less fear of crashes and more favorable attitudes toward airplanes; (3) beliefs in harmful health effects and misfeasance by operators of aircraft are also highly correlated with fear and noise annoyance; (4) in direct retrospective comparisons of number of flights, noise levels and annoyance, subjects more often said the worst day laboratory exposured more like their usual home environments; and (5) subjects do not expect an annoyance-free environment. Half of the subjects can accept an annoyance level of 5 to 6 from a possible annoyance range of 0 to 9, 28% can live with an annoyance intensity of 7, and only 5% can accept the top scores of 8 to 9.

Traffic noise annoyance with relation to vehicle pattern

Abstract: In this report the author presents and discusses the results of an experiment in estimating the extent of annoyance caused by traffic noise on people living in the Swedish towns of Gothenburg, Stockholm and Visby. A sample of the inhabitants of the streets to be measured, were asked whether they were "very annoyed" by traffic noise and the percentage who answered yes used as a criterion. Noise measurements were performed shortly after the interviews. The traffic noise was recorded on a tape recorder and the equivalent continuous a weighted noise level (laq) was calculated using the measured noise levels and the number of vehicles per unit time, obtained from official statistics for the different streets. The results of this experiment are put forth in tabular and graphical form showing the relation between the "percentage very annoyed" and laq at each measurement place, and the relation between "the percentage very annoyed" and the number of heavy vehicles per unit time. The results of the study point to the importance of peak noise events in city traffic for the development of reactions among the exposed population. (TRRL)

Effects of interior aircraft noise on speech intelligibility and annoyance

Abstract: Recordings of the aircraft ambiance from ten different types of aircraft were used in conjunction with four distinct speech interference tests as stimuli to determine the effects of interior aircraft background levels and speech intelligibility on perceived annoyance in 36 subjects. Both speech intelligibility and background level significantly affected judged annoyance. However, the interaction between the two variables showed that above an 85 db background level the speech intelligibility results had a minimal effect on annoyance ratings. Below this level, people rated the background as less annoying if there was adequate speech intelligibility.

A further survey of some effects of aircraft noise in residential communities near london (heathrow) airport

Abstract: The report discusses the results of a survey in which 600 residents of suburban communities near London (Heathrow) airport were interviewed to determine human annoyance reactions to aircraft noise exposure. Questions asked were designed to measure annoyance reactions and the frequency and severity of noise disturbance. The disturbance measurements were found to indicate variation of community noise sensitivity with time of day.

Annoyance response to spectrally modified recorded aircraft noise during television-viewing.

Abstract: Magnitude estimations of the annoyance of 27 individual noise stimuli were made by 24 Ss while viewing television; 8 different spectrum modifications of a basic aircraft noise were introduced at 3 overall intensities. The basic spectrum was that of an untreated commercial jet aircraft takeoff noise; the other 8 were created by removal of one of two amounts of energy from an octave band centerered at either .315, .8, 1.6, or 4 kc/s. An ANOVA showed significant annoyance differences for spectrum modification, overall noise intensity and their interaction. Annoyance reduction was greatest when energy was removed at the octave band centered at 1.6 kc/s, next at .8, and .315, and least at 4 kc/s. Although greater overall intensity reduction yielded progressively less annoyance with various spectrally-modified noises as well as unmodified noise, the spectrum modification was apparently most effective in reducing annoyance when the overall maximum noise intensity ranged from 88.0 to 89.1 dbA, and was least effective from 83.9 to 85.3 dbA. Annoyance reduction resulting from spectrum modification at a single octave band (centered at either .8 or 1.6 kc/s) was equivalent to that resulting from a 2.7 dbA overall intensity reduction. The results are discussed in terms of speech interference as well as intermodal effects of noise during television viewing. Language: en

Annoyance judgments of interior aircraft noises: A comparison of speech and reverie conditions

Abstract: Two groups of forty subjects each were presented with three minute noise exposures. Test stimuli consisted of four types of interior aircraft noise (two commercial jets, general aviation, helicopter), each presented at levels of 85, 80, 75, and 70 dBA. Subjects were seated in pairs in a transportation system simulator. During the noise exposures one subject group was instructed to converse while the other group was instructed to remain silent. After each noise presentation all subjects rated the annoyance of the noise, judged its acceptability, and estimated how long they could travel in the noise without discomfort. Responses by the speech group were more critical than the reverie group on all three measures. Annoyance ratings and acceptance judgments were approximately 3 dB more severe at low noise levels and approximately 1 dB more severe at high noise levels for the speech group. [Work supported by NASA.]

Noise burdens at us airports

Abstract: An assessment of the magnitude of the community impact of aircraft noise in the year 1975 is made through a study of 52 U.S. airports. The calculations are based upon a simplified prediction model. It is estimated that in that year approximately 2.5% of the national population would have been seriously annoyed by the noise of commercial aircraft operations. The good neighborliness of airports is assessed in terms of the noise burden factor which is defined as the number of man-days of annoyance per passenger movement. Nearly 50% of the sample yield factors of less than 1.0 which is suggested as a reasonable planning target. The effect of the introduction of the larger, quieter wide-bodied aircraft is estimated to more than halve average noise burden factors between the years 1970 and 1975.

Noise annoyance judgment as affected by intensity of illumination and noise spectrum

Abstract: Annoyance judgment was made by magnitude estimation, with noise of eight spectra, under three intensities of illumination (0.25, 2.05, 12.50 fc, achromatic). Subjects were intermediates, or ambiverts, as defined on scores of a personality inventory. Two degrees of octave‐band energy attenuation, four center frequencies for this attenuation, and three overall intensities constituted the noise stimuli. The prediction was that intensity of illumination and noise frequency spectrum influence annoyance judgment; each depending on the overall noise intensity. Analysis of variance showed significant results for illumination intensity and noise spectrum. Annoyance decreased at “weak” illumination with the noise of lower‐frequency attenuation (centered at 800 Hz) as compared with the control noise (without attenuation) while annoyance decreased at “intermediate” illumination with noise of intermediate‐frequency attenuation (centered at 1.6 kHz), and annoyance decreased at “strong” illumination with noise of higher‐frequency attenuation (centered at 4 kHz). Thus, an upward shift of effective frequencies of band attenuation for annoyance reduction was evident along with an increase in illumination intensity. Results were consistent with the prediction, and degrees of energy attenuation and overall noise intensity differentiated this prediction.

Annoyance due to modulation noise and drop-outs in magnetic sound recording

Abstract: In addition to a constant background noise, sound recordings on magnetic tape may also suffer from modulation noise and 'drop-outs'. The level of the modulation noise is proportional to that of the signa!. Modulation noise is more readily audiblein recordings of solo instruments than in orchestral music; listening tests have shown that for the flute the audibility threshold lies at a signal-to-noise ratio as high as 40 dB. The frequency with which drop-outs occur is a matter of tape quality. Listening tests have been carried out to determine the annoyance caused by drop-outs as a function oftheir duration, the degree of attenuation and the frequency of occurrence. The results of these experiments have been applied in the DAMA annoyance meter, which can measure these quantities for an audio tape and assign a quality rating to it.

The reduction of annoyance as a result of the addition of low‐frequency noise

Abstract: Subjects judged the annoyance of pairs of noise bursts of indicating which member of the pair was “more annoying.” Each member of the pair consisted of a 5‐sec burst of 13‐octave‐band white noise centered at 3150‐Hz at levels of 85, 90, or 95 dB SPL. To one member of each pair was added a 13‐octave‐band of white noise centered at either 250 or 500 Hz at intensity levels ranging from 63 dB SPL to 115 dB SPL. The results show that for certain intensities of the low frequency bands, the combined noise bands were less annoying than the 3150‐Hz band alone. Thus, in these cases, annoyance was reduced as a result of the addition of sound energy. This is in opposition to current theory concerning annoyance. The reduction of annoyance was more pronounced for the higher intensities of the 3150‐Hz band, suggesting that the effect was due to a reduction of the “tickle” or distortion caused by the 3150‐Hz stimulus.

Relationship between detectability and annoyance of low‐level signals

Abstract: Annoyance is a strong function of signal level only at relatively high absolute levels At levels below about 65 dBA, physical indices of exposure are poorly correlated with annoyance judgments Since regulation of low‐level‐noise sources (which present negligible hearing damage risk and interfere little with speech) is now under consideration, a reliable index of the annoyance of low‐level signals is needed Preliminary evidence gathered in an empirical study of the relationship between detectability and annoyance of recorded noises heard in different backgrounds suggests that the detectability of low‐level signals may provide such an index