This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Traffic noise disrupts recognized benefits of birdsong and other sounds from nature, a new study from the University of Surrey reports. This study was published in the journal People and Nature.
Surrey researchers investigated how the acoustic characteristics of natural soundscapes containing birds affect psychological well-being and whether traffic noise affects those benefits. Natural soundscapes, such as birdsong, have psychological benefits, including stress reduction and positive mood changes, while traffic noise has been shown to increase stress and annoyance. Researchers suggest reducing speed limits near parks to potentially lessen traffic noise.
Melissa Marselle, a lecturer in environmental psychology at the University of Surrey, said, "Being in nature and listening to its sounds is a natural way of improving well-being. People report feeling refreshed and having a renewed feeling of calmness after exposure to natural environments. "With such profound benefits, it is important that we learn more about what it is about such sounds that prompts such feelings in a person.
The number or types of birds singing could be important; so too could the acoustic characteristics, like how loud, complex or varied the soundscape is. "However, the modern industrial world is noisy, so we need to investigate the impact of traffic noise on nature's sounds and whether it counteracts their benefits. Our research could help identify tranquil outdoor spaces to help those who are feeling overwhelmed." To learn more, researchers conducted two complementary studies.
More than 1,500 participants took part in the first study, where they listened to nine simulated soundscapes of natural sounds and traffic noise that varied in acoustic complexity and amplitude. Participants were then asked a series of questions about how relaxed and restored they felt after listening to the sounds. In the second study, 63 participants were invited into a laboratory environment and listened to the same nine soundscapes as those in the first study while wearing a heart rate monitor.
Researchers found that listening to natural soundscapes containing birdsong had psychological well-being benefits, regardless of their acoustic characteristics. However, traffic noise within natural soundscapes, even at levels below World Health Organization guidelines for daytime vehicle traffic noise, negatively affected the psychological benefits of nature's sounds. Heart rate variability was also significantly lower for participants listening to natural soundscapes with traffic noise, indicating a greater physiological stress response to such sounds.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
