Sound, Crowding & How We Experience Space

Overview

This study (Kim & Shelby, 2011) explored how different types of sound influence how crowded a space feels.

Participants were shown simulated environments with varying numbers of people, paired with different soundscapes (i.e., airplane noise, birds, water, children playing and no sound).

Researchers measured:

• Perceived crowding (how crowded it felt)

• Acceptability (how acceptable the number of people felt)

The study was conducted in a controlled lab setting with 47 participants using simulated outdoor scenes.

Note: Because this was a simulated study, it gives us controlled insight, but still leaves room to explore how this plays out in real-world environments.

Key Findings

• Sound changes how crowded a space feels

  • Mechanical sounds (airplanes, trucks) increased perceived crowding

  • Natural sounds (water, birds) decreased perceived crowding

• Sound affects social tolerance

  • With nature sounds, people were more accepting of others around them

  • With mechanical sounds, people were less tolerant of the same number of people

  • Across all conditions, water and bird sounds consistently led to more positive evaluations, while airplane and truck sounds led to more negative ones

• Context matters

  • Sounds that “fit” the environment (i.e. birds in nature) feel better

  • Sounds that don’t fit (i.e. engines in a park) increase discomfort

• At very high density, sound matters less

  • When spaces get extremely crowded, sound has less influence

  • At low to moderate density (which is most everyday environments) sound plays a significant role

• Movement may amplify perceived crowding

  • Related research by the authors suggests that people perceive more crowding when others are moving vs. stationary

Practical Applications

• Sound can influence how busy a space feels

  • Airports, transit hubs, workplaces, events are all high density areas. Introducing nature-inspired or calming soundscapes may reduce perceived crowding and improve overall experience without having to change the actual capacity.

• Sound can increase tolerance in shared spaces

  • People may feel less irritated, less rushed and less overwhelmed

  • This can influence spaces like waiting areas, security lines and networking environments

• There’s a potential link to stress and nervous system regulation

  • Based on related research, density increases stress, and sound changes perceived density, which means sound may indirectly help regulate stress in crowded environments.

• There’s an opportunity to experiment with the types of sound we’re using in crowded spaces

  • Can we use nature soundscapes in places like airports, transit environments and busy retail spaces to reduce stress?

  • Further, can sound support wayfinding, focus and improved emotional regulation in crowds?

Closing thoughts

This study offers interesting ideas to consider when trying to enhance the feeling of spaces that tend to experience crowding i.e. large scale events, transit hubs, shopping malls, etc.

One interesting aspect this research suggests is that crowding is not just about how many people are around you, but it’s about how your environment makes you feel…

and sound plays a bigger role than we think!

Often times the type of music played in these spaces is an afterthought or defaults to what’s popular, however if we took it a step further and asked “how do we want people to feel?” perhaps we would take a different approach.

Source
Kim SO, Shelby B. Effects of soundscapes on perceived crowding and encounter norms. Environmental Management (2011)