Behavioral Performance, Cognitive Fatigue, Heart Rate Variability, Inhibition, Psychological, Mental Fatigue, Perceived Restoration, Positive and Negative Affect, Working Memory
Conditions
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.
Interventions
OTHERMasking Sounds
Masking sounds will be played from outdoor speakers.
OTHERNo Masking Sounds
No masking sounds will be played from outdoor speakers.
Sponsors
National Research Foundation, Singapore
Ministry of National Development, Singapore
Housing and Development Board, Singapore
Nanyang Technological University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 35 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
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
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Fatigue State Questionnaire (Change) | baseline and up to 60 mins after sound intervention | Change in Fatigue State Questionnaire Score |
| Reverse Corsi Task (Change) | baseline and up to 60 mins after sound intervention | Change in Span and Reaction Time |
| 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) |
| Positive and Negative Affect Schedule - Expanded Form | up to 60 mins after sound intervention | Positive and Negative Affect Score |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Perceived Restorativeness Soundscape Scale | up to 60 mins after sound intervention | Perceived Restorativeness Soundscape Scale Score |
Countries
Singapore
Contacts
Primary ContactKar Fye Alvin Lee, PhD
Backup ContactGEORGIOS CHRISTOPOULOS, PhD
Outcome results
None listed