Effects of Natural Sounds on Attention Restoration Outdoors

Not Applicable

Recruiting

• Conditions: Mental Fatigue; Behavioral Performance; Heart Rate Variability; Perceived Restoration; Cognitive Fatigue; Positive and Negative Affect; Inhibition, Psychological; Working Memory
• Interventions: Other: Masking Sounds; Other: No Masking Sounds

• Registration Number: NCT05679882
• Lead Sponsor: Nanyang Technological University

Brief Summary

This study aims to examine whether listening to natural sounds in a noisy outdoor environment compared to no natural sounds influences behavioural, cognitive, affective, and physiological markers.

Detailed Description

The investigators hypothesize that listening to natural sounds has restorative effects on attention by supporting greater use of involuntary attention. This generates the prediction that exposure to natural sounds in the context of a noisy outdoor environment will have greater restorative effects on attention (i.e., physiological, affective, cognitive, and behavioural) as compared to the control group (exposed to environmental noise only). Individual differences (i.e., age, gender, caffeine and food intake, body mass index, skin temperature, noise sensitivity, sleep quality, baseline physiology and behavioural performance) will be examined and accounted for. Environmental factors (i.e., outdoor humidity, temperature, and noise) will also be accounted for.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2022-09-05
• Study Start: 2022-10-24
• Study First Submitted QC: 2023-01-10
• Study First Posted: 2023-01-11
• Status Verified: 2023-03
• Primary Completion: 2023-03-15
• Last Update Submitted: 2023-03-21
• Last Update Posted: 2023-03-23
• Study Completion: 2023-05-15

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 60

Inclusion Criteria

• Singapore-based
• Non-clinical
• 18-35years

Exclusion Criteria

• Individuals with hearing difficulties or failing to meet the minimal threshold for normal hearing
• Individuals with a history of ear, developmental, neurological, or psychiatric disorder

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Outdoor Environment with Machine-Learning Selected Masking Sounds	Masking Sounds	Exposure to outdoor environmental noise and masking sounds
Outdoor Environment	No Masking Sounds	Exposure to outdoor environmental noise

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Reverse Corsi Task (Change)	baseline and up to 60 mins after sound intervention	Change in Span and Reaction Time
Positive and Negative Affect Schedule - Expanded Form	up to 60 mins after sound intervention	Positive and Negative Affect Score
Go/NoGo Task (Change)	baseline and up to 60 mins after sound intervention	Change in Accuracy and Reaction Time
Change in Heart Rate Variability	1 day (during fatiguing task and sound intervention)	Electrocardiograph and photoplethysmograph (Change)
Fatigue State Questionnaire (Change)	baseline and up to 60 mins after sound intervention	Change in Fatigue State Questionnaire Score

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Perceived Restorativeness Soundscape Scale	up to 60 mins after sound intervention	Perceived Restorativeness Soundscape Scale Score

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Cultural Science Innovations, Nanyang Technological University; 🇸🇬 Singapore, Singapore