ACOUSTIC INTIMACY IN AUDITORY SPATIAL PERCEPTION: THE PSYCHOLOGICAL DYNAMICS OF AUDITORIUM ACOUSTICS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20151644Keywords:
Psychoacoustics, Acoustic Intimacy, Auditory Perception, Spatial Cognition, Perceptual CompensationAbstract
The human mind, instead of passively recording stimuli from the external environment, actively constructs a subjective representation of reality informed by prior experiences and cognitive expectations. Within this framework, auditory data serves as a primary determinant of spatial belonging and the emotional resonance between the listener and the performer. Acoustic intimacy represents a psychological sense of proximity, governed by sound reflections that mediate distance perception.
The inability to achieve this perceptual integration in design creates a disconnect that increases the listener’s cognitive load, thereby weakening aesthetic satisfaction. Modern psychoacoustic approaches argue that this experience is shaped not only by sound waves but also by visual cues, owing to the integrated nature of the brain. This article examines the hypothesis through an extensive literature review that architectural interventions such as lighting strategies, volumetric configurations, and textural choices function as 'perceptual compensation mechanisms.' It aims to explain within a theoretical framework that architectural acoustics is a process of managing spatial cognition and emotional integration in the human mind, rather than mere technical data management. This study investigates the effects of visuospatial parameters including lighting focus, volumetric segmentation, and material texture on the listener’s perception of acoustic intimacy. The objective is to demonstrate that multisensory design, comprising the management of light, volume, and texture, possesses a dimension capable of cognitively masking the physical acoustic flaws of a space. Ultimately, the literature review concludes that acoustic design is not a purely engineering discipline, but a form of 'perception design' that governs the sensory integration capacity of the brain.
References
Alais, D., & Burr, D. (2004). The Ventriloquist Effect Results from Near-Optimal Bimodal Integration. Current Biology, 14(3), 257–262. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2004.01.029
Alhanbali, S., Dawes, P., Millman, R. E., & Munro, K. J. (2019). Measures of Listening Effort Are Multidimensional. Ear & Hearing, 40(5), 1084–1097. https://doi.org/10.1097/AUD.0000000000000697
Alhanbali, S., Munro, K. J., Dawes, P., Perugia, E., & Millman, R. E. (2022). Associations between pre-stimulus alpha power, hearing level and performance in a digits-in-noise task. International Journal of Audiology, 61(3), 197–204. https://doi.org/10.1080/14992027.2021.1899314
Altan, E., Morgan, C., Dakin, S., & Schwarzkopf, D. S. (2024). Spatial frequency adaptation modulates spatial tuning in human visual cortex. Journal of Vision, 24(10), 765. https://doi.org/10.1167/jov.24.10.765
Beranek, L. L. (1962). Music, Acoustics & Architecture (G. Stone, Ed.). John Wiley & Sons Inc.
Beranek, L. L. (2004). Concert Halls and Opera Houses. Springer New York. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-21636-2
Bertelson, P. (1999). Ventriloquism: A case of crossmodal perceptual grouping (G. Ascherleben & T. J. M. J. Bachmann, Eds.). Elsevier.
Bilmez, D. H., & Arpacıoğlu, Ü. (2022). Classification of Architectural Acoustic Materials. In Ü. Arpacıoğlu, Ş. Ertaş Beşir, & İ. E. Gül (Eds.), Architectural Sciences and Building Materials (pp. 173–205). Iksad Publications.
Blauert, J. (1996). Spatial Hearing. The MIT Press. https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/6391.001.0001
Bosen, A. K., Fleming, J. T., Brown, S. E., Allen, P. D., O’Neill, W. E., & Paige, G. D. (2016). Comparison of congruence judgment and auditory localization tasks for assessing the spatial limits of visual capture. Biological Cybernetics, 110(6), 455–471. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00422-016-0706-6
Bronkhorst, A. W. (2015). The cocktail-party problem revisited: early processing and selection of multi-talker speech. Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics, 77(5), 1465–1487. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13414-015-0882-9
Calcus, A. (2024). Development of auditory scene analysis: a mini-review. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 18. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2024.1352247
Cavanaugh, W. J., & Wilkes, J. A. (1999). Architectural Acoustics. John Wiley & Sons Inc.
Chen, Y., & Cabrera, D. (2021). The effect of concert hall color on preference and auditory perception. Applied Acoustics, 171, 107544. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apacoust.2020.107544
Chen, Y., Cabrera, D., & Alais, D. (2022). Separate effects of auditory and visual room size on auditorium seat preference: a virtual reality study. Perception, 51(12), 889–903. https://doi.org/10.1177/03010066221125864
Chen, Y., Cabrera, D., & Alais, D. (2023). Modelling audiovisual seat preference in virtual concert halls. Applied Acoustics, 212, 109589. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apacoust.2023.109589
Chen, Y., Cabrera, D., & Yadav, M. (2023). Finding the Seat With the Best View: Stage-View Preference for Orchestra. Sage Open, 13(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440231181585
Cox, TrevorJ., & D’Antonio, P. (2004). Acoustic Absorbers and Diffusers Theory, design and application: ISBN 0-203-49299-4 (First Press). Spon Press.
Dixon, N. F., & Spitz, L. (1980). The Detection of Auditory Visual Desynchrony. Perception, 9(6), 719–721. https://doi.org/10.1068/p090719
Drouzas, C., Steffens, J., & Weinzierl, S. (2026). The influence of the color design of auditoriums on room acoustic impression. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 159(2), 1674–1684. https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0042275
Epstein, R. A., Patai, E. Z., Julian, J. B., & Spiers, H. J. (2017). The cognitive map in humans: spatial navigation and beyond. Nature Neuroscience, 20(11), 1504–1513. https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.4656
Godfroy, M., Roumes, C., & Dauchy, P. (2003). Spatial Variations of Visual—Auditory Fusion Areas. Perception, 32(10), 1233–1245. https://doi.org/10.1068/p3344
Hake, R., Müllensiefen, D., & Siedenburg, K. (2025). Individual differences in auditory scene analysis abilities in music and speech. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 24048. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-10263-z
Hidaka, T., Beranek, L. L., & Okano, T. (1995). Interaural cross-correlation, lateral fraction, and low- and high-frequency sound levels as measures of acoustical quality in concert halls. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 98(2), 988–1007. https://doi.org/10.1121/1.414451
Howard, D. M., & Angus, J. (2006). Acoustics and Psychoacoustics (Fifth Edit). Elsevier Academic Press & Focal Press.
Hyun, J. I., & Jeon, J. Y. (2021). Soundscape restoration model based on psycho-physiological response with audio-visual interaction in natural environment. INTER-NOISE and NOISE-CON Congress and Conference Proceedings, 263(3), 3035–3043. https://doi.org/10.3397/IN-2021-2290
Jeon, J. Y. (2023). Soundscape and Digital Therapeutics: Psycho-physiological Restoration. INTER-NOISE and NOISE-CON Congress and Conference Proceedings, 265(1), 6728–6736. https://doi.org/10.3397/IN_2022_1011
Jeon, J. Y., Jo, H. I., Seo, R., & Kwak, K. H. (2020). Objective and subjective assessment of sound diffuseness in musical venues via computer simulations and a scale model. Building and Environment, 173, 106740. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2020.106740
Jeon, J. Y., Lee, H., Ji, M., Kim, J. S., & Ahn, D. H. (2026). Personalized audiovisual gamma stimulation enhances neural connectivity and entrainment beyond fixed 40 Hz protocols. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 20. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2026.1787255
Jeon, J. Y., Lee, H., Yoon, H., Roh, S., & Ahn, D. (2025). Development of a Cognitive Impairment Discrimination Model through Acoustic Analysis of Speech Sounds. Alzheimer’s & Dementia, 20(S2). https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.088486
Jeon, J. Y., Lee, H., Yoon, H., Santika, B. B., Park, D., & Kim, J. (2023). Transitioning concert hall soundscapes to vehicle interiors based on psychoacoustic evaluations. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 154(4_supplement), A270–A270. https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0023492
Jeon, J. Y., Santika, B. B., Lee, H., Yoon, H., Ahn, D., & Kim, J. S. (2026). Music and soundscape effects on young adults’ psychophysiological restoration in virtual reality: a longitudinal study. Applied Acoustics, 248, 111282. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apacoust.2026.111282
Knight, S., Zheng, Y., Maher, G., McGarrigle, R., & Mattys, S. (2026). A Data‐Limit Account of Release From Masking During Speech‐on‐Speech Listening. Cognitive Science, 50(1). https://doi.org/10.1111/cogs.70166
Lee, H., Luo, Y., Yoon, H., Kim, S., Lee, Y., & Jeon, J. Y. (2023). Restoration Effect Through VR Soundscape and Traditional Music Contents Experience. INTER-NOISE and NOISE-CON Congress and Conference Proceedings, 268(1), 7118–7122. https://doi.org/10.3397/IN_2023_1065
Long, M. (2006). Arhitectural Acoustics. Elsevier Academic Press.
McBeath, M. K., Addie, J. D., & Krynen, R. C. (2019). Auditory capture of visual apparent motion, both laterally and looming. Acta Psychologica, 193, 105–112. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2018.12.011
Pallasmaa, J. (2012). The Eyes of the Skin: Architecture and the Senses (3rd ed.). John Wiley & Sons.
Pastusiak, A., Błasiński, Ł., & Kociński, J. (2025). Listening Effort in Reverberant Rooms: A Comparative Study of Subjective Perception and Objective Acoustic Metrics. Archives of Acoustics, 321–329. https://doi.org/10.24425/aoa.2025.154824
Peelle, J. E. (2018). Listening Effort: How the Cognitive Consequences of Acoustic Challenge Are Reflected in Brain and Behavior. Ear & Hearing, 39(2), 204–214. https://doi.org/10.1097/AUD.0000000000000494
Postma, B. N. J., & Katz, B. F. G. (2017). The influence of visual distance on the room-acoustic experience of auralizations. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 142(5), 3035–3046. https://doi.org/10.1121/1.5009554
Santika, B. B., Lee, H., Lee, Y., & Jeon, J. Y. (2023). Psychophysiological responses to changes in the acoustic design of concert halls. INTER-NOISE and NOISE-CON Congress and Conference Proceedings, 268(1), 7154–7159. https://doi.org/10.3397/IN_2023_1072
Seo, J. G., & Jeon, J. Y. (2019). Impact of early reflection on real-time estimation of direction of arrival in different building environments. Building and Environment, 147, 434–443. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2018.10.029
Shams, L., Kamitani, Y., & Shimojo, S. (2000). What you see is what you hear. Nature, 408(6814), 788–788. https://doi.org/10.1038/35048669
Shinn-Cunningham, B., Best, V., & Lee, A. K. C. (2017). Auditory Object Formation and Selection (pp. 7–40). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51662-2_2
Spence, C. (2011). Crossmodal correspondences: A tutorial review. Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics, 73(4), 971–995. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13414-010-0073-7
Talsma, D., Senkowski, D., Soto-Faraco, S., & Woldorff, M. G. (2010). The multifaceted interplay between attention and multisensory integration. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 14(9), 400–410. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2010.06.008
Urrutia, O., Plummer, A., Bulla, W., & Chon, S. (2025, October). Effects of Colored Lighting on Audio Quality Perception. Audio Engineering Society Convention.
Viollon, S., Lavandier, C., & Drake, C. (2002). Influence of visual setting on sound ratings in an urban environment. Applied Acoustics, 63(5), 493–511. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0003-682X(01)00053-6
Vroomen, J., Bertelson, P., & de Gelder, B. (2001). Directing spatial attention towards the illusory location of a ventriloquized sound. Acta Psychologica, 108(1), 21–33. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0001-6918(00)00068-8
Wang, S., Liu, J., Lan, X., Hu, Q., Jiang, J., & Zhang, J. (2022). Cross-modal association analysis and matching model construction of perceptual attributes of multiple colors and combined tones. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.970219
Winkler, I., & Denham, S. L. (2024). The role of auditory source and action representations in segmenting experience into events. Nature Reviews Psychology, 3(4), 223–241. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44159-024-00287-z
Yang, W., & Jeon, J. Y. (2020). Effects of Correlated Colour Temperature of LED Light on Visual Sensation, Perception, and Cognitive Performance in a Classroom Lighting Environment. Sustainability, 12(10), 4051. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12104051
Yang, W., & Jeon, J. Y. (2023). Effects of lighting and sound factors on environmental sensation, perception, and cognitive performance in a classroom. Journal of Building Engineering, 76, 107063. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2023.107063
Yoon, H., & Jeon, J. Y. (2024). Relationship between soundscape perception and psychophysiological responses to virtual environmental events. Virtual Reality, 29(1), 11. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10055-024-01087-9
Yoon, H., Lee, H., Santika, B. B., Luo, Y., Jeon, J. Y., Kim, J., & Park, D. (2023). Indoor soundscape design of autonomous vehicles that comprehensively applies acoustic characteristics of architectural space type. INTER-NOISE and NOISE-CON Congress and Conference Proceedings, 268(1), 7130–7134. https://doi.org/10.3397/IN_2023_1067
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Derin Hilal BİLMEZ, Ümit ARPACIOĞLU
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
