Sonic Experience Study – Weekly Soundwalks in Southampton - R2

How does the city sound and how does that shape how you feel?

TThis research study (ERGO: 103120) investigates how different urban sound environments affect student well-being. You are invited to take part in a short, pre-defined, self-directed walking study that explores the relationship between soundscapes and emotional health.

You will be assigned one of four predefined walking routes in Southampton, each representing a different type of urban sound environment.

All walks are in safe, publicly accessible areas, familiar to most residents and close to main streets or parks.

Each walk is approximately 1 km long and includes five short listening stops, where you will pause briefly to reflect and answer short questions using your phone.

🗺️ The Four Routes

• 1️⃣ Lover’s Walk: A tree-lined pedestrian path in Highfield Campus.

• 2️⃣ Watts – East Park: Through the central parks, open green spaces with moderate city ambience.

• 3️⃣ Brookvale Road: A residential street with light traffic and local everyday activity.

• 4️⃣ A3024 – Thomas Lewis Way: A busy main road with steady traffic and typical urban sound levels.

All routes are safe to walk during daylight hours (09:00–18:00) and have been reviewed by the research team for accessibility and visibility.

Participation Steps

• Complete a short pre-walk online questionnaire (approx. 2 minutes).

• Undertake your self-guided walk (approx. 45 minutes), pausing at five listening stops.

• Complete a short post-walk questionnaire (approx. 2 minutes).
  Total time: around 50 minutes.

Walks must be completed between 09:00 and 18:00 by 31 October 2025.

If the weather is poor (e.g. rain or strong wind), please postpone and choose another day.

🪙 Participant Reimbursement

All participants who complete both questionnaires will receive a £25 Amazon voucher as a thank-you. Voucher details are collected via a separate short form to ensure your responses remain anonymous.

After Registering

• You will receive an email containing your Participant Information Sheet (PIS) and Consent Form.
• You must sign and return the Consent Form by email before your participation can be confirmed.
• Once your signed consent form is received, you will be assigned a Participant ID and sent the online survey link.

Practical Information

• The walk is self-directed - you’ll navigate using a Google Map link provided in the survey.

• You may walk alone or with a companion if that makes you feel more comfortable.

• Please avoid talking during the 1-minute listening periods to ensure accurate results.

• Make sure your phone is fully charged, your GPS is on and you have internet data access for completing the short survey at each stop.

Your Participant ID will be emailed to you once your participation is confirmed. Without this, you cannot fill in the survey, so please store it safely.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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Host or Publisher Dr. Efstathios Margaritis