Perceptual assessment of urban park audio-visual stimuli a comparison between Italian and Chinese groups

Previous research demonstrated a preference for natural auditory stimuli over human-made sounds in urban park environments. However, little attention has been given to the perceived dimensions of these sounds and their consistency across diverse cultural groups. The present study aimed at revealing possible culture differences among visual (Green, Square, Color) and auditory (Nature, Music, Anthropic) elements in urban parks. Eighty participants from both Chinese and Italian groups were administered a questionnaire to emotionally assess the stimuli. The differences in emotional salience were found across both sensory inputs. For the visual inputs, Green parks were perceived as more pleasant than Colorful parks, and the latter were more pleasant than Square parks, indicating the more natural the setting, the more restorative the effects. An important finding refers to the cross-culture consistency of the preferences. For the auditory inputs in urban parks, although both components of emotional salience were cross-culture consistent, some specific differences emerged.