Our Perception of Sound and How it Affects You

by Aaron Riley

It seems that in this day and age, we’re all perpetually listening to something. Whether it be listening to music, a podcast, or the ambient noise of our day to day lives, we’re never in a state of true silence. I’ve always been intrigued by what is considered “pleasing” to the ear. Not only when it comes to music taste, but down the exact frequencies that people like to listen to their music at. To explore these ideas, I decided to look into various aspects of how we experience sound and relate it to how we feel about them.

What is psychoacoustics?

Put simply, psychoacoustics studies the human perception of sound and sound frequencies, whether it be through music, speech, or any other medium. There are two main areas covered in psychoacoustics, perception and cognition. These areas go hand and hand in our interpretation of sound.

Perception examines the sensory systems involved in perceiving sound waves. The limit in which our bodies can perceive is known as our audible range. This range is dependent on 2 measurements of sound, decibels which measures volume, and hertz which measures pitch. Human hearing capabilities lie between 20 and 20,000 hertz. Our minds also have the ability to locate the source of sounds through sound localization. This allows us to locate discrepancies in tone and pitch, and also allows us to experience sound in three dimensions. Similar can be said regarding audial cognition, as it also examines how exactly our brains process sounds. Cognition is generally centered around user interaction and interpretation of sound, while perception is centered around the technicalities of how we perceive sound.

Ideas surrounding psychoacoustics are important to take into account when it comes to mixing or producing audio for any piece of media. Creating a well balanced and cohesive sound profile for whatever piece of media is important for user experience. Achieving this requires consideration of what frequencies and sound profiles are most appealing among users while still abiding by the creator’s intention. One would also have to consider the devices or equipment that most consumers would be listening on, as this can vary vastly from person to person.

Soundscapes

There is still some ambiguity surrounding the definition of a soundscape in a scientific context. From the information I have gathered, I would define a soundscape as the sounds we experience based on our environment or location. This can refer to day to day ambient noise or the music of a concert.

Soundscapes look into various aspects of what makes up environmental noise. Some of those aspects include spatial factors (geographic location), biotic and abiotic factors (aspects of nature), and acoustic factors (how sound interacts with your physical surroundings). These factors all play a role in setting a baseline of how we perceive sound. They can also differ depending on place or time of day. In a way, a soundscape can be seen as a “foundational” way of how we interact with sound. The sound of simply existing, if you will. Changes and various interjections in a given soundspace can contribute to how we perceive and react to sound.

Sound vs. Noise: A look into unpleasant sounds

Nails on chalkboard, scraping silverware, and babies crying are some pretty common examples of sounds we consider unpleasant. They may cause us to recoil, cover our ears, or cause an even more visceral reaction. Regardless, these reactions indicate that we don’t like what we’re hearing. What is it about these sounds that makes us react the way we do? We often create a negative connotation with the word noise. How exactly do we distinguish between a regular sound and what we consider noise?

Many sounds that we consider unpleasant fall within a frequency range of 2,000 to 5,000 hertz. It is within this frequency range that our ears are most sensitive. Some sounds that fall in the range include electric drills spinning, bicycle brake squealing, and as mentioned before, nails on a chalkboard and scraping silverware. While these sounds are known for being annoying, in reality, just about any sound can be an annoyance. The idea of a wanted and unwanted sound is what makes a sound annoying. These ideas are dependent on context, goals, and the given activity. Changes and disturbances in what your mind may be used to may be considered an annoyance or unwanted. Variations in the sounds you may experience in a given soundspace can create negative associations with those sounds.

Our brains have the ability to associate certain sounds with discomfort or distraction. Understanding our reactions to uncomfortable sounds gives us a bit of insight as to how sound can play a role in our actions and behaviors. 

Embracing quietness

As I’ve mentioned before, we seem to never be in a state of true silence. With the hustle and bustle of day to day life, true silence is often unattainable. Even in an isolated, seemingly silent environment, we are still experiencing sound. Whether it be the sound of electronics humming or wind brushing up against the trees. While we all may be conditioned to be used to listening, is there potential benefit to separating yourself from it all and embracing quiet?

Being in a quiet environment could lead to greater mental clarity, allow you to process your emotions, and aid in decision making. Similar to the idea of a dopamine detox, a bit of quiet may be necessary in cultivating a more relaxed state of mind. Though there is a level of subjectivity to this. Though everyone has a different association with silence, there still is potential benefit in separating yourself from all of the noise and distractions to just…think.

Music and the mind

One of the most common ways in which we interact with sound on a day to day basis is through music. Music is a quintessential part of many people’s lives, mine included. Whether it be playing and performing music or listening to it, many people find value in engaging with music in some shape or form. Though you may not realize it, music can play quite a large role in how our minds operate.

Without getting too deep into the technicalities of music and composition, music is way more mathematical and structured than we may realize from just listening to it. Your brain has to do a lot to comprehend and process whatever music it is that you’re listening to. This then stimulates your brain in a way that has a plethora of potential benefits. Some of which include improving memory and aiding in learning. All of this however depends on other factors such as environmental factors, personal factors, and even the type of music you’re listening to.

Music is also an avenue in which we explore our emotions and own sense of self. Oftentimes, music taste is centered around our feelings and state of mind at the time. There's even evidence that suggests that one can get glimpses of your personality through your music taste. Music is a reflection of you and your lived experience. Similar to our brains considering certain sounds as unpleasant, your brain has created connections with music, but in the opposite way. Rather than interpreting music as unwanted or unpleasant, it resonates with you and plays a role in how you express yourself and experience emotion.

Wrapping things up

The way in which we interact with sound goes beyond just listening to music or listening to others speak. It starts from a foundation of environmental or ambient noise and builds off of that. Distracting and discomforting sounds not only mess with your attention and state of mind but may cause you to physically recoil and react. While music and the presence of pleasurable sounds have their fair share of benefits, there is still value in the absence of sound and embracing silence. I promise none of what I said here was meant to take the fun out of music or anything like that. It's just that understanding our interactions with sound can help us better utilize it as a tool for productivity and improving our mental wellbeing.