Acoustic Ecology

The term acoustic ecology is often used synonymously with soundscape. According to the International Organization for Standardization, soundscape refers to the acoustic environment as perceived, experienced, or understood by a person or people in context. In general, ecology concerns the relationship between individuals and their environments. [Page 18]More specifically, acoustic ecology concerns the relationship between listeners and their sound environments. Importantly, soundscape entails the human perception of the physical acoustic environment, including real or natural and simulated or virtual sound environments. This entry discusses the shift from a clinical to an ecological view in audiology that emerged from a new ecological conceptual framework that has influenced the development of new measures and the design of new technologies and behavioral interventions.

Murray Schafer coined the term soundscape ...