Singapore soundscape site selection survey (S5): identification of characteristic soundscapes of Singapore via weighted k-means clustering
The ecological validity of soundscape studies usually rests on a choice of soundscapes that are representative of the perceptual space under investigation. For example, a soundscape pleasantness study might investigate locations with soundscapes ranging from "pleasant" to "annoying...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2023
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10356/164940 |
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| Institution: | Nanyang Technological University |
| Language: | English |
| Summary: | The ecological validity of soundscape studies usually rests on a choice of
soundscapes that are representative of the perceptual space under
investigation. For example, a soundscape pleasantness study might investigate
locations with soundscapes ranging from "pleasant" to "annoying". The choice of
soundscapes is typically researcher-led, but a participant-led process can
reduce selection bias and improve result reliability. Hence, we propose a
robust participant-led method to pinpoint characteristic soundscapes possessing
arbitrary perceptual attributes. We validate our method by identifying
Singaporean soundscapes spanning the perceptual quadrants generated from the
"Pleasantness" and "Eventfulness" axes of the ISO 12913-2 circumplex model of
soundscape perception, as perceived by local experts. From memory and
experience, 67 participants first selected locations corresponding to each
perceptual quadrant in each major planning region of Singapore. We then
performed weighted k-means clustering on the selected locations, with weights
for each location derived from previous frequencies and durations spent in each
location by each participant. Weights hence acted as proxies for participant
confidence. In total, 62 locations were thereby identified as suitable
locations with characteristic soundscapes for further research utilizing the
ISO 12913-2 perceptual quadrants. Audio-visual recordings and acoustic
characterization of the soundscapes will be made in a future study. |
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