Table of Contents
The Acoustic Comfort Assessment Scale (ACAS-12)
Description
The Acoustic Comfort Assessment Scale (ACAS-12; Herranz-Pascual et al., 2023) was developed as a comprehensive instrument to gauge the pleasantness of the acoustic environment within urban settings. Its creation aligned with the progress and development of ISO 12913–1:2014 (Acoustics—Soundscape: Definition and conceptual framework). The ACAS-12 is structured as a 5-point semantic differential scale, comprising twelve pairs of bipolar adjectives that are organized around five theoretical dimensions. This scale evolved from earlier 2-point and 3-point versions. Originally developed in Spanish, an English version was subsequently created using the back-translation technique. Data for the scale’s development were collected from urban open spaces in Spain. Subsequent factor analysis indicated that the most effective factorial solution is a single factor encompassing all 12 pairs of adjectives. The scale’s reliability and validity have been reported.
Purpose
The ACAS-12 serves as a human perception assessment tool specifically designed to evaluate the acoustic environment (acoustic comfort) in urban public spaces.
Validity
Construct validity: The results of the factor analysis provide strong support for the structural validity of the measure, indicating that it effectively measures the intended construct of acoustic comfort.
Reliability
Internal consistency: The ACAS-12 demonstrates high internal consistency, as evidenced by a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.91 and a composite reliability of 0.90.
Factor Analysis
Confirmatory factor analysis: The analysis revealed a single factor composed of the 12 pairs of adjectives. This single factor is estimated to explain approximately 50% of the ACAS-12 variance (44% of extracted variance using Raykov’s method or 56% by the MAP test). The absolute fit index and the Incremental Fit Index (IFI) were both above the minimum reference value of 0.90. The residual-based indices also showed values close to suitability (SRMR = 0.057; RMSEA = 0.042).
Considering the comparatively lower contribution of two specific items, a new Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was conducted, specifying a unifactorial model comprised of the 10 items with the highest contribution (this modified version could be referred to as ACAS-10). The fit indices for this 10-item model were also suitable (χ2 SB = 49.83; df = 35; p = 0.049; χ2 SB/df = 1.42; NFI = 0.99; NNFI = 0.99; CFI = 0.99; IFI = 0.99; SRMR = 0.034; RMSEA = 0.026; 90% CI RMSEA = 0.000 to 0.050). However, the researchers opted to retain the ACAS-12 as it provides valuable information on acoustic comfort qualities, particularly “Familiarity,” which is highlighted in the existing literature.
Instrument
Test Type: Original
Format: Items are rated using a 5-point semantic differential scale.
Language Available: English; Spanish
Population Group: Human
Age Group: No data is Available
Population Details: Data was collected from urban open places in Spain, with respondents drawn from urban public spaces.
Test Methodology: The development and validation of the ACAS-12 involved Test Validity, Construct Validity, Test Reliability, Internal Consistency, Factor Analysis, and Confirmatory Factor Analysis.
Keywords
Acoustic Comfort, Acoustic Environment, Human Perception Assessment, Noise, Acoustics, Auditory Perception, Noise Effects, Perceptual Measures, Physical Comfort, Urban Environments, Human Factors Measures.
Authors
Herranz-Pascual, Karmele
Author ORCID Identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3930-5445
Affiliation: TECNALIA, Basque Research & Technology Alliance (BRTA)
Email address: [email protected]
Correspondence Address: [email protected]
Iraurgi, Ioseba
Affiliation: University of Deusto, Faculty of Health Sciences DeustoPsych, Assessment, Clinical and Health
Aspuru, Itziar
Affiliation: TECNALIA, Basque Research & Technology Alliance (BRTA)
Garcia-Pérez, Igone
Affiliation: TECNALIA, Basque Research & Technology Alliance (BRTA)
Eguiguren, José Luis
Affiliation: TECNALIA, Basque Research & Technology Alliance (BRTA)
Santander, Álvaro
Affiliation: TECNALIA, Basque Research & Technology Alliance (BRTA)
Permissions & Fee and Test Year
Permissions: May be used for research and teaching purposes.
Fee: No fee is associated with the use of this scale.
Test Year: 2023
Web Site: creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en
Commercial Use: No
References
Herranz-Pascual, K., Iraurgi, I., Aspuru, I., Garcia-Pérez, I., Eguiguren, J. L., & Santander, Á. (2023). Development of the Acoustic Comfort Assessment Scale (ACAS-12): Psychometric properties, validity evidence and back-translation between Spanish and English. PLoS ONE, 18(2), Article e0281534. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0281534
Items of the Acoustic Comfort Assessment Scale (ACAS-12)
The Acoustic Comfort Assessment Scale (ACAS-12) contains 12-pair items, rated on a 5-point semantic differential scale. Specific item details are available in the supplemental material of the source reference.
Files
S2 File. ACAS-12 Scale
S2 File. Acoustic Comfort Assessment Scale (ACAS-12) in Spanish (native language) and English
| Section | English | Español |
| ### Question Statement | Concentrate on what you are hearing now. Take a minute to perceive the environment and sound of this place. Next, could you please describe the acoustic environment you are hearing in this place from your point of view? | Ahora concéntrese en lo que está usted escuchando. Tómese un minuto en percibir el ambiente y el sonido de este lugar. A continuación ¿Nos podría describir por favor, el ambiente sonoro que usted está escuchando en este lugar desde su punto de vista? |
| ### Help | Use the adjective pairs listed below for this. Each adjective pair refers to the same aspect; one is positive and the other is negative. You should choose a number from 1 to 5 to best reflect your opinion. So:<ul><li>1 would indicate that the adjective on the left describes the acoustic environment you are hearing very well.</li><li>2 would indicate that the adjective on the left describes it well, but not as well as 1.</li><li>3 would indicate that you are not sure which of the two adjectives (the one on the right or left) would be more appropriate</li><li>5 would indicate that the adjective on the right describes acoustic environment very well.</li><li>4 would indicate that the adjective on the right describes it well, but not as well as 5.</li></ul> | Use para ello los pares de adjetivos que aparecen más abajo. Cada par de adjetivos se refiere al mismo aspecto, uno de ellos en sentido positivo y otro en negativo. Usted debe elegir un número del 1 al 5 que mejor refleje su opinión. De este modo:<ul><li>1 indicaría que el adjetivo de la izquierda describe muy bien el ambiente sonoro que está escuchando.</li><li>2 indicaría que lo describe bien, pero no tan bien como el 1.</li><li>3 indicaría que no está seguro de cual de los dos adjetivos (el de la derecha o izquierda) sería el más apropiado.</li><li>5 indicaría que el adjetivo de la derecha describe muy bien el ambiente sonoro que está escuchando.</li><li>4 indicaría que el adjetivo de la derecha describe bien el ambiente sonoro, pero no tan bien como el 5.</li></ul> |
| ### Bipolar Adjectives | ||
| 1 | unpleasant 1 2 3 4 5 pleasant | desagradable 1 2 3 4 5 agradable |
| 2 | stressful 1 2 3 4 5 relaxing | estresante 1 2 3 4 5 relajante |
| 3 | noisy 1 2 3 4 5 peaceful, calm | ruidoso 1 2 3 4 5 tranquilo |
| 4 | confusing, chaotic 1 2 3 4 5 clear, accurate | caótico, confuso 1 2 3 4 5 claro, nítido |
| 5 | boring 1 2 3 4 5 fun | aburrido 1 2 3 4 5 divertido |
| 6 | artificial 1 2 3 4 5 natural | artificial 1 2 3 4 5 natural |
| 7 | monotonous 1 2 3 4 5 lively | monótono 1 2 3 4 5 vibrante, animado |
| 8 | hinders conversation 1 2 3 4 5 facilitates conversation | dificulta conversación 1 2 3 4 5 facilita conversación |
| 9 | no informative 1 2 3 4 5 informative | no informativo 1 2 3 4 5 informativo |
| 10 | intermittent 1 2 3 4 5 uninterrupted | discontinuo 1 2 3 4 5 continuo |
| 11 | unknown 1 2 3 4 5 familiar | desconocido 1 2 3 4 5 familiar |
| 12 | inappropriate for the surroundings 1 2 3 4 5 appropriate for the surroundings | inapropiado con su entorno 1 2 3 4 5 apropiado con su entorno |
Cite this article
Mohammed looti (2026). Acoustic Comfort Assessment Scale (ACAS-12). PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Retrieved from https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/acoustic-comfort-assessment-scale-acas-12/
Mohammed looti. "Acoustic Comfort Assessment Scale (ACAS-12)." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 5 Apr. 2026, https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/acoustic-comfort-assessment-scale-acas-12/.
Mohammed looti. "Acoustic Comfort Assessment Scale (ACAS-12)." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 2026. https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/acoustic-comfort-assessment-scale-acas-12/.
Mohammed looti (2026) 'Acoustic Comfort Assessment Scale (ACAS-12)', PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Available at: https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/acoustic-comfort-assessment-scale-acas-12/.
[1] Mohammed looti, "Acoustic Comfort Assessment Scale (ACAS-12)," PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, vol. X, no. Y, ص Z-Z, April, 2026.
Mohammed looti. Acoustic Comfort Assessment Scale (ACAS-12). PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. 2026;vol(issue):pages.