Wu Duotuo, Han Rumei, Zhang Ruining, Yang Xinhao, Zhang Yuan, Kang Jian
Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Eco-Building Physics Technology and Evaluation, Shenyang, China.
School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Shenyang Jianzhu University, Shenyang, China.
NPJ Urban Sustain. 2025;5(1):38. doi: 10.1038/s42949-025-00228-6. Epub 2025 Jun 14.
Soundscapes significantly impact human well-being, yet standard Western-based Soundscape Affective Quality (SAQ) scales may not accurately represent culturally specific perceptions. This study explored structural differences in soundscape emotional experiences between Chinese and Western cultures using an indigenous approach. An Indigenous Chinese SAQ (ICSAQ) scale was developed through perceptual evaluations of 132 representative Chinese soundscape excerpts by 264 participants from 30 provinces, employing 108 culturally relevant descriptors. Principal component analysis revealed two dimensions-Comfort and Richness-differing notably from the global Pleasantness-Eventfulness model. Comparison with the translated global SAQ scale showed significant measurement bias, with the imported scale overestimating positive emotions and activation levels. Regression analyses confirmed the ICSAQ scale's stronger interpretability regarding objective acoustic indicators. The findings highlight critical limitations of translation-based environmental affective measurements, emphasizing the necessity of culturally appropriate assessment tools for inclusive urban environmental management.
声景对人类福祉有重大影响，但基于西方标准的声景情感质量（SAQ）量表可能无法准确反映特定文化背景下的认知。本研究采用本土方法探讨了中西方文化在声景情感体验上的结构差异。通过来自30个省份的264名参与者对132段具有代表性的中国声景摘录进行感知评估，使用108个与文化相关的描述词，开发了中国本土的SAQ（ICSAQ）量表。主成分分析揭示了两个维度——舒适度和丰富度，这与全球通用的愉悦度-多变度模型有显著差异。与翻译后的全球SAQ量表进行比较，结果显示存在显著的测量偏差，进口量表高估了积极情绪和激活水平。回归分析证实了ICSAQ量表在客观声学指标方面具有更强的解释力。研究结果凸显了基于翻译的环境情感测量的关键局限性，强调了为包容性城市环境管理提供文化适宜性评估工具的必要性。
