United States: A new study shows that manmade sounds, like traffic, can hide the calming effects of nature sounds on stress and anxiety. Researchers Paul Lintott and Lia Gilmour found this in a study published on November 27, 2024. They discovered that nature sounds can help reduce stress, but loud human-made noises can make it harder for people to feel the benefits.
Previous evidence revealed that exposure to natural sounds such as birdsong can reduce blood pressure, pulse, and respiratory rate, and self-rated stress and tension. On the other hand, anthropogenic soundscapes referring to traffic noise or aircraft noise for instance it is believed to pose various effects on human Health and Well-being.
As reported by the Medicalxpress, in the new study, 68 student volunteers listened to three 3-minute soundscapes: a naturals cape recorded at dawn in West Sussex UK, naturals cape with twenty m.p.h. road traffic noise, and naturals cape with forty m.p.h. road traffic noise. General mood and anxiety questionnaires were completed by the participants prior to and after the exposure to the soundscapes.
The research revealed that exposure to a natural soundscape minimized perceived stress and anxiety, as well as, boosted mood restoration following a stressor. However, the benefits of the mood that came with natural sounds was swift to disappear if traffic sounds were added into the mix.
The level of stress and anxiety was least significant when the soundscape comprised of natural sound; the highest level of stress and anxiety was reported when sound comprised the forty mile per hour traffic.
The authors’ recommendations are that traffic speed reduction in urban environments could shape human health and well-being not only through safety factors, but also through soundscape change.
According to the authors the study established that listening to natural soundscapes would lead to reduced stress and anxiety and that anthropogenic sounds for instance traffic noise would effectively eliminate any positive effects. Slowing down traffic in cities is thus one of the keys to promoting the enjoyment of the benefits of contact with the living environment among more people.