RESPONSE TO A REDUCTION IN TRAFFIC NOISE EXPOSURE

This paper is a report of an examination of responses measured following a change in exposure. A reduction in road traffic noise exposure led to a much larger reduction in annoyance than would have been anticipated from responses measured under steady state conditions. An explanation for this may be found in adaptation level theory. If there is some cost to the individual associated with adaptation to noise, current scales of annoyance may represent attenuated measures of the true effects of the noise exposure, particularly at higher levels.