Sound Research WIKINDX
Sound Research WIKINDX |
|
 |
|
Cotton, A., Hedger, S. V. C., Macpherson, E. A., & Grahn, J. A. (2026). Welcome to the jungle: Aesthetic preference mediates soundscape evaluation, with limited effects of ultrasound exposure. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 110, 102966. Added by: Mark Grimshaw-Aagaard (2/26/26, 1:30 AM) Last edited by: Mark Grimshaw-Aagaard (2/26/26, 1:32 AM) |
 |
| Resource type: Journal Article Language: en: English Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvp.2026.102966 ID no. (ISBN etc.): 0272-4944 BibTeX citation key: Cotton2026 Email resource to friend View all bibliographic details  |
Categories: General Keywords: Aesthetic preference, Cognition, Soundscape, Ultrasound Creators: Cotton, Grahn, Hedger, Macpherson Collection: Journal of Environmental Psychology |
Views: 4/5
|
| Abstract |
|
Listening to nature soundscapes has been associated with aspects of psychological restoration, including increased cognitive performance and positive affect. Most recordings of these environments, however, are limited to the audible frequency range (i.e., 20 Hz – 20 kHz), which leaves open the question of whether frequencies beyond the range of human hearing (ultrasound) influence psychological restoration. Ultrasound has been associated with increased alpha wave activity in the brain, which in turn has been associated with decreased stress and a state of relaxed alertness, suggesting that ultrasound might augment the restorative potential of soundscapes. To investigate this, we conducted a randomized controlled trial (n = 111) comparing different types of soundscapes (nature, recorded in a Borneo rainforest, or urban, recorded in a city in Ontario) with different bandwidths (audible-only or audible plus ultrasound) to quantify their effects on cognitive performance (backward digit span, n-back), self-reported mental fatigue, affect, and perceived restoration. During the sound intervention, participants additionally aesthetically rated the soundscapes. The results revealed no significant effects of ultrasound or environment on cognitive performance. However, ultrasound exposure increased mental fatigue. Additionally, there was no effect of ultrasound on either affect or perceived restoration. Notably, although nature soundscapes facilitated affective and perceived restoration, these effects were driven by participants’ aesthetic ratings of the soundscapes.
Added by: Mark Grimshaw-Aagaard Last edited by: Mark Grimshaw-Aagaard |