Noise transmitted between floors in apartments is a major problem of neighborhood conflicts in Korea. While noise annoyance involves multi-components including emotional distress, perceived disturbances, physiological changes, and coping behaviors, one-item scales have been used to assess the level of noise annoyance. Floor Noise Annoyance Scale (FNAS) is a multi-item self-reported questionnaire developed in Korean language to evaluate neighbor noise annoyance from upper floors in residential buildings. For the practical use of FNAS, a validation study on the scale is needed. This study was aimed to examine validity and reliability of FNAS among apartment residents in Korea. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) results showed that the FNAS has a single factor structure, and the scale showed good internal consistency and test-retest reliability among Korean apartment residents. The FNAS scores were found to be significantly correlated with noise sensitivity, distress intolerance, neuroticism. This study provides support for the utility of the FNAS and shows that the scale is a reliable and valid tool of assessing upper floor noise annoyance among apartment residents.
Keywords : Apartment noise, Floor Noise Annoyance Scale, Validity, Reliability