A psychological evaluation method for fluctuating random noise based on fuzzy set theory

Abstract In psychological noise evaluation, subjective judgment of the acoustical stimulus causes fuzziness. By paying special attention to the fuzziness of the subjective impression, the categorized psychological evaluation is quantitatively understood as the fuzzy event. The so-called discrete-type membership function in the field of fuzzy set theory is used as a practical method for discussing the relationship between the objective acoustical stimulus and the subjective human response. The patterns of discrete-type membership functions are determined by using the data actually observed to give the psychological impression. Next, a new method of evaluating the psychological impression is proposed for the case when subjects are exposed to the fluctuating random noise of arbitrary probability distribution. Finally, the validity and usefulness of the proposed method are confirmed experimentally by applying it to the data actually observed.