Noise and Soundscapes

This interdisciplinary project explores how individuals with diverse hearing profiles manage and adapt to sudden, sharp sounds, including within workplace settings. By investigating both physiological and psychological responses to these sounds, the research aims to advance soundscape management strategies. Using a mixed-methods approach, it combines quantitative acoustic and physiological measurements with qualitative insights to capture the lived experiences of impulsive noise impacts. Co-supervised by experts in occupational therapy and acoustics at the University of Salford, this study bridges disciplines to offer a comprehensive view of how individuals experience, manage, and habituate to sudden, sharp sounds. The findings will guide the development of inclusive acoustic design and inform policies that support healthier auditory environments, benefitting individuals across a range of hearing sensitivities.

Supervisors: Jay Vickers and David Waddington

How does sound facilitate or inhibit choice in leisure and how do individual differences interact with environments?  Individuals may choose to seek calm quiet areas to participate in their leisure pursuits, whereas others actively choose areas with ambient background noise or even noisier environments. There is little research into the role of sound facilitating or inhibiting choice in participation in leisure occupations.

Supervisors: Victoria McQuillan and Bill Davies