Path analysis was applied to data collected in a social survey on the
community response to traffic noise along a trunk road in Tokyo. The d
ata were collected from more than 390 female residents by means of a q
uestionnaire. A path model was developed for the causal relation of th
e noise annoyance, dissatisfaction with living environment, and the wi
sh of the respondents to move to the antecedent variables, including n
oise levels, personal factors, and noise effects. The strongest effect
on annoyance was for the noise level, followed by interferences with
daily activities. The model explains 43% of the variation in annoyance
. The dissatisfaction with the living environment and wish of responde
nts to move depended strongly on noise annoyance, but other factors sh
ould also be considered, as only 33% and 19% of their variation, respe
ctively, could be explained by the model. (C) 1997 Academic Press Limi
ted.