Research Methods for Understanding Aircraft Noise Annoyances and Sleep Disturbance (2014)

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4 Survey Instruments - Questionnaire Rationale The test surveys conducted at each of the three airports used a standard-length telephone questionnaire (Appendix A) and a briefer mail questionnaire (Appendix D). The mail questionnaire consists of only two questions: the first two questions from the telephone questionnaire which contain the primary measure of aircraft noise annoyance. Each of the questionnaire items (i.e., the individual questions) have been developed to support objectives developed in the literature review, which are summarized in Section 3. Both questionnaires share the basic aircraft noise annoyance question (Question 1.e in the telephone questionnaire and in the long screener, and 5.e in the mail questionnaire – the 5-point verbal scale) that can be used to develop the dose/response relationship. This study found that the mail and telephone questionnaires yield sufficiently identical dose/response relationships and expect that the final national survey will be able to increase the sample size for dose/response analyses with the more economical mail sample. The mail sample would not, however, contribute to many other goals of the national study. For both questionnaires, the other subparts of Question 1 and Question 2, provide a context for the aircraft rating without revealing that the primary purpose of the study is to evaluate aircraft noise annoyance. The remaining items in the standard telephone questionnaire support the objectives that are listed next. Each objective is followed by a description of the types of questionnaire items that support the objective. For most study hypotheses about community response differences, the critical evidence comes from a comparison of the basic dose/response relationship in different areas and not from the extended telephone survey questions. In these cases the proposed questions will not by themselves meet the objective, but they do provide supplementary evidence that would help to support and interpret study findings about dose/response relationships that researchers, acousticians or policy makers might otherwise consider to be of doubtful validity. The objectives are: • Increase the reliability of the response measure: A second noise annoyance question, (a 0- 10 numeric scale) that is recommended for use by ISO (ISO/TS 15666:2003) provides a multiple indicator and thus increases the reliability of the annoyance assessment; (Q2,3,4,5) • Determine whether aircraft noise sensitivity has changed in the United States: A 5-point thermometer annoyance scale from a 1970 nine-airport study; (Q1,42) • Assess the impact of aircraft operation modes and possible relationships to noise levels produced by different operations: Questions about perceived aircraft flight paths, ground operations, fear of crashes, being startled by aircraft; (Q16,17,18,19,20,21) • Assess the impact or effects of airport operators’ community outreach programs and possible relationship to objective assessments of community outreach: – Questions about perceptions of airport operators’ actions, obtaining sound-proofing or other types of financial assistance, the extent to which airports could reduce noise exposure; note that separately, staff from each airport and possibly consultants who work for the airport will be interviewed to provide an alternative assessment of airport / community relations; (Q35,36,37,38,39,40) • Evaluate demographic explanations for community response differences: - Questions about age, gender, education, income, race, household size, house type, home ownership, length of residence, airport usage, economic links to airport; (Q9,10,13,23,24,33,34,43,44,45,46,47,48) • Evaluate individual attitudinal differences: Questions about general noise sensitivity, perceptions about whether aircraft noise could be prevented, fear of danger from aircraft; (Q7b,c,8b,c,18,19,32,41) • Evaluate the impact of media and communications on neighborhood response differences: Questions on media exposure, knowledge about noise issues, awareness of local views, about neighborhood views and actions; (Q22,25,26,27,28,29) 11

• Evaluate the effects of individual aircraft noise exposure differences: - Questions about time away from home and outdoor space usage (Outdoor usage might also explain regional differences.)(Q11,12) • Provide linkage to the ACRP sleep study, other studies of sleep disturbance and sleep disturbance metrics: - Question about sleep disturbance; (Q7a,8a) • Assess the effect of changes in aircraft noise exposure: - Questions about the total aircraft noise exposure in the past and future; (Q14,15) • Evaluate aircraft noise complaints, their relationship to annoyance and airport records, if available: Questions about complaint behavior; (Q30,31) 12