TITLE:
Differences in the Effects of Natural and Environmental Sounds on Cognitive Functions
AUTHORS:
Moemi Matsuo, Keita Kadohata, Takashi Higuchi
KEYWORDS:
Soundscape, Environmental Sounds, Natural Sounds, Concentration, Cognitive Function
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.13 No.12,
December
25,
2025
ABSTRACT: The sounds that people often hear in their daily lives are called “soundscapes.” Soundscapes are defined as a collection of biological sounds (e.g., bird calls), geophysical sounds (e.g., wind and rain), artificial sounds (e.g., road and air traffic noise), and sounds perceived in the environment as music. These sounds have a considerable effect on humans. However, little is known about the differences in the effects of natural sounds and environmental sounds on cognitive function. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the effects of natural and environmental sounds on concentration skills. Twenty-two healthy young adults were enrolled in this study. Participants were asked to execute a cancellation test as a concentration task under three conditions: no sound, natural sounds, and environmental sounds. The number of correct answers and completed lines of the task were evaluated, and a one-way analysis of variance was performed to compare concentration performance between conditions. Statistical analysis revealed no significant differences between the conditions in terms of either the number of completed lines or the rate of correct answers. Healthy young adults are less susceptible to the influence of soundscapes on their concentration. Furthermore, it was inferred that concentration performance may change depending on factors such as task sensitivity, duration of exposure, and sound pressure.