Investigation of non-acoustical factors affecting subjective response to floor impact noise through a survey

This study investigated non-acoustical factors affecting subjective response to floor impact noise in apartment building through a survey (N: 416 persons). The questionnaire consisted of personal information, and self-rated annoyance, disturbance, and health problem due to floor impact noise as subjective responses, and existence of children, conflict experience with neighbor, noise sensitivity, attitude and coping strategy to the noise, and so on as non-acoustical factors. Results showed that housewives were more annoyed by floor impact noise than different occupations. Annoyance due to floor impact noise was more highly correlated with relaxation disturbance and anger than different disturbances and health problems, respectively. It was also revealed that annoyance scores rated by participants were higher when children live on their upper unit and they have conflict experiences with upper or lower unit neighbor. Noise sensitivity was significantly correlated with annoyance due to floor impact noise. Relationships between perceived and behavioral coping strategy and attitude to the noise, neighbor (upper and lower unit), and authorities, predictability of noise occurrence and subjective response to floor impact noise were also analyzed and discussed.