Natural Sound Facilitates Mood Recovery
Abstract
Visual exposure to natural scenes can aid in recovery from stress, attentional fatigue, and physical ailments including surgery and sickness. Yet little is known about what role auditory stimuli may play in restorative processes. The current study extends prior work on the benefit of natural visual scenes to the domain of natural auditory exposure. Undergraduate students (N=133) were exposed to an unsettling video and reliably reported worsened affective state on the Brief Mood Introspection Scale (BMIS) immediately following the stimuli. Participants were then randomly assigned to either a natural sounds condition or to a comparison condition that was natural sounds intermingled with anthropogenic sounds (human voices or motorized vehicles). Participants exposed to a brief period of natural sounds following the video showed greater mood recovery, as measured by the BMIS, than did those exposed to the same stimuli also containing human-caused sounds (voices or motorized vehicles). Thus natural so...
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
Listening to natural sounds was shown to be more restorative than anthropogenic sounds.
“listening to natural sounds was shown to be more restorative than anthropogenic sounds (Benfield et al., 2014)”
From Exploring the role of exposure to green and blue spaces in preventing anxiety and depression among young people aged 14–24 years living in urban settings: A systematic review and conceptual framework (2022) · cites this paper as Benfield et al., 2014
The natural sound condition showed greater recovery from the upsetting video compared to both the control and anthropogenic sound conditions.
“The natural sound condition showed greater recovery from the upsetting video compared to both the control and anthropogenic sound conditions.”
From Exploring the role of exposure to green and blue spaces in preventing anxiety and depression among young people aged 14–24 years living in urban settings: A systematic review and conceptual framework (2022) · cites this paper as Benfield et al., 2014
Significant BMIS change by sound condition was shown for Pleasant-Unpleasant and Positive-Tired subscales.
“Significant BMIS change by sound condition was shown for Pleasant-Unpleasant sub-scale (F = 7.62, p < 0.001, partial η2 = .150)and Positive-Tired subscale (F = 6.36, p < 0.001, partial η2 = .126)”
From Exploring the role of exposure to green and blue spaces in preventing anxiety and depression among young people aged 14–24 years living in urban settings: A systematic review and conceptual framework (2022) · cites this paper as Benfield et al., 2014
The impacts of different components of nature can be broken down, and such studies provide evidence of the restorative qualities of viewing or listening to nature, with associated improvements in mood and relaxation.
“The impacts of different components of nature can be broken down, and such studies provide evidence of the restorative qualities of viewing or listening to nature, with associated improvements in mood and relaxation (Benfield et al., 2014;Tedja and Tsaih, 2015;Chang et al., 2008;Chan KLE, 2015).”
From Exploring the role of exposure to green and blue spaces in preventing anxiety and depression among young people aged 14–24 years living in urban settings: A systematic review and conceptual framework (2022) · cites this paper as Benfield et al., 2014
Cites
The cognitive benefits of interacting with nature.
Berman, M. G., Jonides, J., & Kaplan, S. (2008) · Psychological Science · doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02225.x · Cited by 2,535 · see citing works
Effect of psychological stress on the salivary cortisol and amylase levels in healthy young adults
Takai, N., Yamaguchi, M., Aragaki, T., Eto, K., Uchihashi, K., & Nishikawa, Y. (2004) · Archives of Oral Biology · doi:10.1016/j.archoralbio.2004.06.007 · Cited by 568 · cited 1× · see citing works
“1 Following baseline measurement, all participants were exposed to a presumptively stress-inducing video similar to that utilized in prior research (Bosch et al., 2001; Takai et al., 2004).”
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Soga, M., Evans, M. J., Tsuchiya, K., & Fukano, Y. (2021) · Ecological Applications · doi:10.1002/eap.2248 · Cited by 389 · see citing works
Noise pollution is pervasive in U.S. protected areas
Buxton, R. T., McKenna, M. F., Mennitt, D. J., Fristrup, K. M., Crooks, K. R., Angeloni, L. M., & Wittemyer, G. (2017) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.aah4783 · Cited by 325 · see citing works
Sound and Soundscape in Restorative Natural Environments: A Narrative Literature Review
Ratcliffe, E. (2021) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.570563 · Cited by 281 · see citing works
“In a laboratory experiment, Benfield et al. (2014) exposed participants to a stress- and negative affect-inducing video and then to one of four conditions: natural sounds (birdsong and rustling leaves); natural sounds plus traffic; natural sounds plus voices; or a control condition with no audio present.”
BackgroundAletta, F., Oberman, T., & Jian, K. (2018) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph15112392 · Cited by 228 · see citing works
The affective benefits of nature exposure
Bratman, G. N., Olvera‐Alvarez, H. A., & Gross, J. J. (2021) · Social and Personality Psychology Compass · doi:10.1111/spc3.12630 · Cited by 177 · see citing works
Baxter, D. E., & Pelletier, L. G. (2019) · Canadian Psychology / Psychologie canadienne · doi:10.1037/cap0000145 · Cited by 172 · see citing works
Labib, S. M., Browning, M. H. E. M., Rigolon, A., Helbich, M., & James, P. (2022) · The Science of The Total Environment · doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155095 · Cited by 165 · see citing works
Associations with bird sounds: How do they relate to perceived restorative potential?
Ratcliffe, E., Gatersleben, B., & Sowden, P. T. (2016) · Journal of Environmental Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2016.05.009 · Cited by 141 · see citing works
Erfanian, M., Mitchell, A., Kang, J., & Aletta, F. (2019) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph16193533 · Cited by 161 · see citing works
“Not only has spending time in nature been demonstrated to have positive effects on humans’ nervous system but it has also been shown that humans innately tend to seek connections with nature, a hypothesis known as Biophilia [32].”
BackgroundLife satisfaction linked to the diversity of nature experiences and nature views from the window
Chang, C.-C., Oh, R. R. Y., Nghiem, T. P. L., Zhang, Y., Tan, C. L. Y., Lin, B. B., Gaston, K. J., Fuller, R. A., & Carrasco, L. R. (2020) · Landscape and Urban Planning · doi:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2020.103874 · Cited by 140 · see citing works
Natural environments and mental health
Mantler, A., & Logan, A. (2015) · Advances in Integrative Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.aimed.2015.03.002 · Cited by 138 · see citing works
Marselle, M. R., Irvine, K. N., Lorenzo-Arribas, A., & Warber, S. L. (2014) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph120100106 · Cited by 138 · see citing works
“In general, listening to birdsong improves mood [106].”
BackgroundOf cricket chirps and car horns: The effect of nature sounds on cognitive performance
Van Hedger, S. C., Nusbaum, H. C., Clohisy, L., Jaeggi, S. M., Buschkuehl, M., & Berman, M. G. (2019) · Psychonomic Bulletin & Review · doi:10.3758/s13423-018-1539-1 · Cited by 134 · see citing works
The phantom chorus: birdsong boosts human well-being in protected areas
Ferraro, D. M., Miller, Z. D., Ferguson, L. A., Taff, B. D., Barber, J. R., Newman, P., & Francis, C. D. (2020) · Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rspb.2020.1811 · Cited by 118 · see citing works
“Natural sounds enhance the quality of nature-based experiences [22] by adding to overall satisfaction [19,21,22], enhancing perceptions of natural landscapes [23] and improving mood [24].”
BackgroundSelf-citationRestoration in Nature: Beyond the Conventional Narrative
Hartig, T. (2021) · Nebraska Symposium on Motivation/The Nebraska symposium on motivation · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-69020-5_5 · Cited by 179 · see citing works
Bray, I., Reece, R., Sinnett, D., Martin, F., & Hayward, R. (2022) · Environmental Research · doi:10.1016/j.envres.2022.114081 · Cited by 124 · see citing works
“…Levels of anger were lower when viewing green (compared with red) scenery (Akers et al., 2012), listening to natural sounds was shown to be more restorative than anthropogenic sounds (Benfield et al., 2014), and touching wood induced feelings of comfort (compared with marble; Ikei et al., 2018).”
BackgroundHa, J., & Kim, H. J. (2021) · Urban forestry & urban greening · doi:10.1016/j.ufug.2021.127259 · Cited by 116 · see citing works
Acoustic environments matter: Synergistic benefits to humans and ecological communities
Francis, C. D., Newman, P., Taff, B. D., White, C., Monz, C., Levenhagen, M. J., Petrelli, A. R., Abbott, L. C., Newton, J. N., Burson, S., et al. (2017) · Journal of Environmental Management · doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2017.07.041 · Cited by 121 · see citing works
Self-citationKorpilo, S., Nyberg, E., Vierikko, K., Ojala, A., Kaseva, J., Lehtimäki, J., Kopperoinen, L., Cerwén, G., Hedblom, M., Castellazzi, E., et al. (2024) · Urban forestry & urban greening · doi:10.1016/j.ufug.2024.128286 · Cited by 100 · see citing works
Affective experiences of built environments and the promotion of urban walking
Bornioli, A., Parkhurst, G. P., & Morgan, P. L. (2019) · Transportation Research Part A Policy and Practice · doi:10.1016/j.tra.2018.12.006 · Cited by 95 · see citing works
Scates, D., Dickinson, J. I., Sullivan, K. A., Cline, H., & Balaraman, R. (2020) · Environment and Behavior · doi:10.1177/0013916520916259 · Cited by 97 · see citing works
Jiang, B., Xu, W., Ji, W., Kim, G.-W., Pryor, M., & SULLIVAN, W. C. (2021) · Journal of Environmental Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2021.101659 · Cited by 95 · see citing works
Haga, A., Halin, N., Holmgren, M., & Sörqvist, P. (2016) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01831 · Cited by 61 · see citing works
Birdsongs alleviate anxiety and paranoia in healthy participants
Stobbe, E., Sündermann, J., Ascone, L., & Kühn, S. (2022) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-022-20841-0 · Cited by 78 · see citing works
Restorative effects of urban park soundscapes on children’s psychophysiological stress
Shu, S., & Ma, H. (2020) · Applied Acoustics · doi:10.1016/j.apacoust.2020.107293 · Cited by 74 · see citing works
Grassini, S., Segurini, G. V., & Koivisto, M. (2022) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.871143 · Cited by 80 · see citing works
“Natural sounds have been shown to help restore mental fatigue (Ratcliffe et al., 2013; Benfield et al., 2014; Emfield and Neider, 2014; Jahncke et al., 2015).”
BackgroundPredicting the Perceived Restorative Potential of Bird Sounds Through Acoustics and Aesthetics
Ratcliffe, E., Gatersleben, B., & Sowden, P. T. (2018) · Environment and Behavior · doi:10.1177/0013916518806952 · Cited by 70 · see citing works
“Because birds occur frequently in restorative soundscapes (e.g., Alvarsson et al., 2010; Benfield et al., 2014; Medvedev et al., 2015; Payne, 2013), they are a highly appropriate type of stimulus to use to examine relationships between specific acoustic and aesthetic properties of natural sounds…”
BackgroundThe Influence of Natural Sounds on Attention Restoration
Abbott, L. C., Taff, D., Newman, P., Benfield, J., & Mowen, A. (2016) · Journal of Park and Recreation Administration · doi:10.18666/jpra-2016-v34-i3-6893 · Cited by 65 · see citing works
Self-citationRestorative Effects of Classroom Soundscapes on Children’s Cognitive Performance
Shu, S., & Ma, H. (2019) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph16020293 · Cited by 62 · see citing works
“Indeed, numerous studies have provided some evidence for this by demonstrating an increase in pleasant mood [8], a decrease in heart rate [9–11], a reduced skin conductance level [12], and other stress-relieving measures.”
BackgroundMonz, C., D’Antonio, A., Lawson, S., Barber, J., & Newman, P. (2016) · doi:10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2015.11.003 · Cited by 57
Self-citationKorpilo, S., Nyberg, E., Vierikko, K., Nieminen, H., Arciniegas, G., & Raymond, C. M. (2022) · Landscape and Urban Planning · doi:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2022.104617 · Cited by 59 · see citing works
Logan, A. C., Katzman, M. A., & Balanzá‐Martínez, V. (2015) · Journal of PHYSIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY · doi:10.1186/s40101-015-0041-y · Cited by 69 · see citing works
“synthetic leaf made of resin) stimuli [217-222].”
The restorative environmental sounds perceived by children
Shu, S., & Ma, H. (2018) · Journal of Environmental Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2018.10.011 · Cited by 49 · see citing works
Effects of natural sound on human stress recovery based on EEG techniques
Liu, C., Jing, X., Shi, J., Li, J., Zhang, Y., & Gao, W. (2024) · Journal of Environmental Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2024.102365 · Cited by 50 · see citing works
The Role of Tourism Impacts on Cultural Ecosystem Services
Taff, B. D., Benfield, J., Miller, Z., D’Antonio, A., & Schwartz, F. (2019) · Environments · doi:10.3390/environments6040043 · Cited by 48 · see citing works
Self-citationUnwind: a musical biofeedback for relaxation assistance
Yu, B., Funk, M., Hu, J., & Feijs, L. M. G. (2018) · Behaviour and Information Technology · doi:10.1080/0144929x.2018.1484515 · Cited by 63 · see citing works
Logan, A. C., Katzman, M. A., & Balanzá‐Martínez, V. (2015) · Journal of PHYSIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY · doi:10.1186/s40101-014-0040-4 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
Impacts of sights and sounds on anxiety relief in the high-density city
Xu, W., Wang, H., Su, H., SULLIVAN, W. C., Lin, G., Pryor, M., & Jiang, B. (2023) · Landscape and Urban Planning · doi:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2023.104927 · Cited by 49 · see citing works
Acoustic Transparency and the Changing Soundscape of Auditory Mixed Reality
Mcgill, M., Brewster, S., McGookin, D., & Wilson, G. A. (2020) · International Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3313831.3376702 · Cited by 46 · see citing works
“Recent research has used sounds such as forests [116], birdsong and rain [13], fountains with moving water [4], and with wind and forest noises being particularly relaxing [117, 116].”
MethodRuotolo, F., Rapuano, M., Masullo, M., Maffei, L., Ruggiero, G., & Iachini, T. (2023) · Journal of Environmental Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2023.102219 · Cited by 46 · see citing works
Iyendo, T. O. (2017) · Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice · doi:10.1016/j.ctcp.2017.08.004 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
Smalley, A. J., White, M. P., Sandiford, R., Desai, N., Watson, C., Smalley, N., Tuppen, J., Sakka, L. S., & Fleming, L. E. (2023) · Journal of Environmental Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2023.102060 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
Effect of Traffic Noise and Relaxations Sounds on Pedestrian Walking Speed
Franěk, M., Režný, L., Šefara, D., & Cabal, J. (2018) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph15040752 · Cited by 53 · see citing works
Natural sounds can encourage social interactions in urban parks
Chen, X., & Kang, J. (2023) · Landscape and Urban Planning · doi:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2023.104870 · Cited by 48 · see citing works
“This might be because natural sounds provide a relaxing, pleasant, and vibrant atmosphere (Benfield et al., 2014), which promotes people ’ s willingness to engage in social interactions, whereas quiet environments, although generally considered positive, can sometimes be associated with negative…”
Anthropogenic noise in US national parks – sources and spatial extent
Buxton, R., McKenna, M., Mennitt, D., Brown, E., Fristrup, K., Crooks, K., Angeloni, L., & Wittemyer, G. (2019) · Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment · doi:10.1002/fee.2112 · Cited by 38
Designing Supportive Soundscapes for Nursing Home Residents with Dementia
Devos, P., Aletta, F., Thomas, P., Petrović, M., Mynsbrugge, T. V., VELDE, D. V. D., VRIENDT, P. D., & Botteldooren, D. B. (2019) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph16244904 · Cited by 36 · see citing works
“Nature and an associated natural sound environment have been shown to increase mental restoration after stressful periods [31] and the facilitation of mood recovery [32].”
BackgroundRESonance: Lightweight, Room-Scale Audio-Visual Biofeedback for Immersive Relaxation Training
Yu, B., Hu, J., Funk, M., Liang, R.-H., Xue, M., & Feijs, L. M. G. (2018) · IEEE Access · doi:10.1109/access.2018.2853406 · Cited by 37 · see citing works
“A mixture of sounds from a fountain and tweeting birds have also demonstrated stress-relieving effect via the autonomic nervous system [42].”
BackgroundSangermano, F. (2022) · Landscape and Urban Planning · doi:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2022.104508 · Cited by 37 · see citing works
Smalley, A. J., White, M. P., Ripley, R., Atack, T. X., Lomas, E., Sharples, M., Coates, P. A., Groom, N., Grand, A., Heneberry, A., et al. (2022) · Global Environmental Change · doi:10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2022.102497 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
Qiu, M., Sha, J., & Utomo, S. (2020) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su13010293 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
Environmental demands and resources: a framework for understanding the physical environment for work
Roskams, M., & Haynes, B. P. (2021) · Facilities · doi:10.1108/f-07-2020-0090 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
Yin, J., Zhu, H., & Yuan, J. (2024) · Land · doi:10.3390/land13091448 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
Martínez-Soto, J., Suárez, L. A. D. L. F., & Ruiz-Correa, S. (2021) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.717116 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
Michels, N., & Hamers, P. (2023) · Environment and Behavior · doi:10.1177/00139165231174622 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
“Also in literature, nuances exist within the subjective reports: bird song improved positive but not negative mood (Benfield et al., 2014), while river sounds in another study stimulated recovery in self-reported stress and HRV but not in emotions (Vilímek et al., 2022).”
BackgroundResultQin, J.-R., Feng, Y., Sheng, Y.-H., Huang, Y., Zhang, F.-Y., & Zhang, K.-X. (2025) · ISPRS Int. J. Geo Inf. · doi:10.3390/ijgi14020063 · Cited by 26
Mindful Moments: Exploring On-the-go Mindfulness Practice On Smart-glasses
Tan, F. F.-Y., Ram, A., Haigh, C., & Zhao, S.-D. (2023) · Conference on Designing Interactive Systems · doi:10.1145/3563657.3596030 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
Understanding park visitors’ soundscape perception using subjective and objective measurement
Ferguson, L. A., Taff, B. D., Blanford, J. I., Mennitt, D., Mowen, A., Levenhagen, M. J., White, C., Monz, C., Francis, C. D., Barber, J. R., et al. (2024) · PeerJ · doi:10.7717/peerj.16592 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
“It has also been documented by many researchers across disciplines ( Abbott et al., 2016 ; Benfield et al., 2014b ; Kaplan, 1995 ; Wilson, 2001 ).”
BackgroundSelf-citationEdnie, A., Gale, T., Beeftink, K., & Adiego, A. (2020) · Journal of Leisure Research · doi:10.1080/00222216.2020.1814177 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
“An increasing body of work has identified the importance of these two theories as representative of the psychological wellness benefits associated with nature experiences (Abbott et al., 2016; Benfield et al., 2014; Franco et al., 2017; Mace et al., 1999).”
BackgroundMateer, T. J. (2022) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.940939 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Roskams, M., & Haynes, B. P. (2020) · Journal of Corporate Real Estate · doi:10.1108/jcre-05-2020-0018 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Biophilic Architecture for Restoration and Therapy within the Built Environment: A ReviewPreprint
Asim, F., & Shree, V. (2019) · Preprints.org · doi:10.20944/preprints201907.0323.v1 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
On how natural and urban soundscapes alter brain activity during cognitive performance
Stobbe, E., Lorenz, R. C., & Kühn, S. (2023) · Journal of Environmental Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2023.102141 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Motorized Recreation Sounds Influence Nature Scene Evaluations: The Role of Attitude Moderators
Benfield, J., Taff, B. D., Weinzimmer, D., & Newman, P. (2018) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00495 · Cited by 18
“Similarly, emerging research has demonstrated a restorative effect of natural soundscapes (Alvarsson et al., 2010; Benfield et al., 2014; Abbott et al., 2016), but has not examined whether individual attitude, or another variable such as motivation, could moderate that restorative effect.”
BackgroundSelf-citationQiu, M., & Zhang, J. (2021) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0256855 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Toward a better understanding of pleasant sounds and soundscapes in urban settings
Ratcliffe, E. (2019) · doi:10.1080/23748834.2019.1693776 · Cited by 17
Wang, H.-T., Yu, Z., & Liu, X.-T. (2025) · Computers, Environment and Urban Systems · doi:10.1016/j.compenvurbsys.2025.102307 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Farris, S., Dempsey, N., McEwan, K., Hoyle, H. E., & Cameron, R. W. F. (2024) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0297179 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Effects of soothing images and soothing sounds on mood and well‐being
Witten, E., Ryynanen, J., Wisdom, S., Tipp, C., & Chan, S. W. Y. (2022) · British Journal of Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1111/bjc.12400 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Cal, H. K., Aletta, F., Kang, J., & Clarke, P. T. M. (2025) · Building and Environment · doi:10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.112946 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
The impact of the community's sound environment on social interactions among residents
Chen, X., Kang, J., & Wang, M. (2024) · Building and Environment · doi:10.1016/j.buildenv.2024.112094 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
The impact of outdoor soundscapes at nursing homes on physiological indicators in older adults
Long, X., Lei, Y., Mahyuddin, N., & Din, N. B. C. (2024) · Applied Acoustics · doi:10.1016/j.apacoust.2024.110008 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Franěk, M., Režný, L., Sefara, D., & Cabal, J. (2019) · PeerJ · doi:10.7287/peerj.7711v0.2/reviews/2
A Study on User Acceptance of Different Auditory Content for Relaxation
Yu, B., Hu, J., Funk, M., & Feijs, L. M. G. (2016) · Audio Mostly Conference (AM) · doi:10.1145/2986416.2986418 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Zulkifli, N. A., Zain, U. I. Z. M., Hadi, A. A., Ismail, M. N., & Aziz, K. (2022) · Pakistan Journal of Psychological Research · doi:10.33824/pjpr.2022.37.2.18 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
“…addition, restoration effects of nature sounds in mood recovery among respondents exposed to nature sounds concurrent with anxietyreducing effects (Benfield et al., 2014); and reduction in sympathetic activity and an increase in parasympathetic activity (Alvarsson et al., 2010; Annerstedt et al.,…”
BackgroundPsychophysiological Responses of Young People to Soundscapes in Actual Rural and City Environments
Li, Y., Cai, J.-Y., Dong, Q.-D., Wu, L.-J., & Chen, Q.-B. (2021) · Journal of The Audio Engineering Society · doi:10.17743/jaes.2020.0060 · Cited by 11
“soundscapes in humans have been revealed by previous research [28,29], but the experimental sites for examining these physiological effects have mostly been limited to”
MethodFeel the thrill: Exploring how sensory experiences drive positive emotions on themed tours
Jiang, C., Zhang, K., Zhi, Y., & Zeng, Y. (2025) · Tourism Management · doi:10.1016/j.tourman.2025.105247 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Natural soundscapes enhance mood recovery amid anthropogenic noise pollution
Gilmour, L. R. V., Bray, I., Alford, C., & Lintott, P. (2024) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0311487 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Wang, D., Liu, H.-L., & Shen, C.-C. (2022) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su141811133 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
How multisensory nature exposure affects well‐being: Visual and auditory influences on affect
Aldoh, A., Ungureanu, R., Popescu, S., Eldridge, A., Sandom, C. J., & Rae, C. L. (2025) · People and Nature · doi:10.1002/pan3.70157 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
“Lastly, our study captures a relatively narrow conceptualization and changes in cardiovascular parameters (Benfield et al., 2014 ).”
InfluentialGlowGrow: Designing an ambient biofeedback system for pregnancy stress management
Xue, M., Yu, B., Wu, J., Sun, X., Fang, P., Yao, C., Ying, F., Luo, S., & Zhang, S. (2025) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0320866 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
“Nature sounds, such as birds, wind, and rainfall, can foster the experience of calmness and relaxation and are thus widely utilized for stress reduction [86], sleep disorder treatment [87], and mood boost [88,89].”
Iyendo, T. O., Welch, D., & Uwajeh, P. C. (2023) · Cities & Health · doi:10.1080/23748834.2023.2280288 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
“This can involve designing quieter public spaces, providing sensory-friendly zones, and incorporating adaptable soundscapes tailored to individual preferences and sensitivities (Schafer 1994, Benfield et al .”
BackgroundMarafa, L. M., Wang, Z., & Tsang, F. K. H. (2022) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su14159555 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
YouTube Nature Preferences: A Content Analysis Study
Reese, R. F., Seitz, C. M., Stroud, D., Lehman, B. J., CALDWELL, S., ECKLUND, C., & Winn, A. (2016) · The Journal of Humanistic Counseling · doi:10.1002/johc.12033 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Chen, X., & Kang, J. (2025) · Journal of Environmental Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2025.102630 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Beh, W., Hashim, M. N., Tan, W., & Latiff, Z. (2018) · The Journal of Pediatric Research · doi:10.4274/jpr.60251 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
“The results of repeated measure ANOVA on FPS showed that the interaction between the group and test was not statistically significant F (2,56)=1.”
BackgroundMethodInfluentialLeaf your Chair Behind – Calm Persuasion for Frequent Sitting Breaks Among Office-Workers
Jung-Krenzer, T., Kirchner-Krath, J., Retz, C., & Altmeyer, M. (2024) · Message Understanding Conference · doi:10.1145/3670653.3670681 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
“While we were aware that sound was a modality that could cause problems in an office environment [63], we tried to employ subtle changes of natural sound so that the soundscape created by the rustling of leaves could have a calming effect [6, 79].”
Yusoufzai, M. K., Nederkoorn, C., Lobbestael, J., & Vancleef, L. M. G. (2024) · Motivation and Emotion · doi:10.1007/s11031-023-10053-y · Cited by 5 · see citing works
“In addition, positive natural sounds can facilitate mood recovery (Benfield et al., 2014) and thereby diminish monotony (i.e., increase arousal).”
Ecopsychology and Public Health
Frumkin, H., & Jackson, R. J. (2014) · Ecopsychology · doi:10.1089/eco.2014.6301 · Cited by 5
HarmonyWave: Immersive Space Sound Therapy with Audio-Visual Synesthesia
Yu, J., Li, L., & Zeng, W. (2024) · International Symposiu on Visual Information Communication and Interaction · doi:10.1145/3678698.3687180 · Cited by 4
“The sounds representing nature have been identified to positively influence individuals’ mood and well-being [1, 25].”
McKenna, M. (2020) · Physics today · doi:10.1063/pt.3.4387 · Cited by 4
Exploring the Influence of Avian Vocal Presence on Appraisal of Urban Soundscapes
Suhanek, M., Petošić, A., Djurek, I., & Slabbekoorn, H. (2024) · Applied Sciences · doi:10.3390/app142311124 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Zhang, D.-D., Mui, K., & Wong, L.-T. (2024) · Buildings · doi:10.3390/buildings14051419 · Cited by 2
Jecmen, D., & LoTemplio, S. B. (2023) · Ecopsychology · doi:10.1089/eco.2023.0007 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
“There is also evidence that spending time in nature both increases positive affect and decreases negative affect in both the general population (Benfield, Taff, Newman, & Smyth, 2014; Bratman, 2019; Bratman, Daily, Levy, & Gross, 2015a; McMahan & Estes, 2015; Nadkarni Hasbach, Thys, Crockett, &…”
Iwashita, M., & Ishikawa, M. (2021) · IEEE Transactions on Cognitive and Developmental Systems · doi:10.1109/tcds.2021.3102993 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Gale, T., Ednie, A., & Beektink, K. (2022) · Society & Natural Resources · doi:10.1080/08941920.2022.2085350 · Cited by 2
“…natural sounds have been found to support physiological, emotional, and cognitive benefits; including stress recovery capacity, stress relief, cognitive attention restoration, and decreased anxiety and agitation (Benfield et al. 2014; Ferraro et al. 2020; Franco, Shanahan, and Fuller 2017).”
BackgroundShipley, N. J. (2021) · Leisure Sciences · doi:10.1080/01490400.2021.1956389 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
“…of leisure behavior include a variety of internal psychological drivers, such as satisfaction, self-efficacy, involvement, place-attachment, habits, emotions, and moods (Benfield et al., 2014; Larson et al., 2018; Lee et al., 2020; Morris et al., 2018; Taplin et al., 2016; Tappe & Glanz, 2013).”
BackgroundMultisensory Nature and Mental Health
Myers, Z. (2019) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-981-32-9923-8_3 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Physical, psychological and emotional effects of nature-based affordances of green physical activity
Yeh, H.-P. (2018) · Sheffield Hallam University · doi:10.7190/shu-thesis-00061 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
“These included mood recovery (Benfield et al., 2014), perception of restoration (Jahncke et al.”
BackgroundAng, J. W. A., Jabar, S. B., Chan, E., Lam, B., Ong, Z.-T., Boey, V., Lee, I., Lee, K. F. A., Gan, W., & Christopoulos, G. I. (2026) · npj Acoustics · doi:10.1038/s44384-026-00072-7
Exposure to forests and birdsong may reduce physiological stress among college students
Ford, T., DeMay, P., Hipp, J. A., Larson, L. R., Desrochers, H. M., Webb, J., Howell, I., Pratiwi, M. A., Meshram, K., Kluttz, J., et al. (2026) · Frontiers in Bird Science · doi:10.3389/fbirs.2026.1884835
- Authors
- Benfield, J. A., Taff, B. D., Newman, P., & Smyth, J.
- Affiliations
- Pennsylvania State University (US)
- University Park
- ORCID
- Smyth, Joshua
- Venue
- Ecopsychology
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2014-09
- Volume
- 6
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 183-188
- ISSN
- 1942-9347 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1183829673
- Cited by
- 141
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 16 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 15 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 19 · 2018: 12 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 2
- FWCI
- 3.51
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Ecopsychology (publishedVersion)
- Ecopsychology
- Funders
- National Park Service
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Urban Green Space and Health
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Speech and Hearing › Noise Effects and Management
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Music Therapy and Health
- Keywords
- natural sounds, mood recovery, auditory stimuli, restorative environments, anthropogenic noise, stress recovery, affective states, nature exposure, attentional fatigue
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
