騒音のある環境の印象改善と音楽提示の諸要因

抄録

This study examined a method of using a masking sound to improve the impression of an environment with noise. In three experiments, we presented a masking sound of several types of music, or pink noise, with road traffic noise, or white noise, and the participants evaluated the unpleasantness and restlessness of the environment. Regardless of the type of noise, the impression of the environment was improved when we presented relaxing and well known music with higher sound level (L_<eq>) than that of the noise. The improvement was greater when there was a large difference in the sound level of the noise and the music. However, if the sound level of the music was lower than that of the noise, the impression was worse than when the noise was presented by itself. These results suggest that the improvement achieved by presenting a masking sound depends upon the type of masking sound, and upon the relative sound level of the noise and the masking sound.