Exploring the creation of multi-modal soundscapes in the indoor environment: a study of stimulus modality and scene type affecting physiological recovery

Zhou, C, Xu, B, Xu, X and Kaner, J ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7946-7433, 2025. Exploring the creation of multi-modal soundscapes in the indoor environment: a study of stimulus modality and scene type affecting physiological recovery. Journal of Building Engineering, 111: 113327. ISSN 2352-7102

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Abstract

Currently, soundscapes in outdoor environments have been well researched, but there is still a lot of research to be done on the application of soundscapes in indoor environments and their corresponding audiovisual elements. In this study, we used a combination of experiments and questionnaires to obtain physiological metrics and subjective ratings for three stimulation modalities and six soundscape scenes, explored the effects of stimulus modality and scene type on human physiological recovery, and compared the relationships between different physiological metrics and fatigue, attention, and arousal. It is hoped that this will provide a basis for soundscape creation in indoor environments. The results showed that audiovisual stimuli enabled participants to better maintain attention and moderate arousal. A single visual stimulus reduced participants’ resistance to the scene. Forest, ocean, and starry sky scenes were more in line with participants’ preferences and presented physiological data consistent with subjective ratings. Multi-sensory creates connections between more physiological indicators, and strong connections between the various indicators of the Electrocardiograph can serve as an important basis for feedback on changes in the body. There was a strong link between the effects of scenes on participants and cognitive experience. We make the following conclusion: it is possible to combine different stimulus modalities for the interior space of the building, and to choose a restorative scene as the main soundscape. The findings can provide a reliable database for constructing comfortable indoor environments.

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	Journal of Building Engineering
Creators:	Zhou, C., Xu, B., Xu, X. and Kaner, J.
Publisher:	Elsevier BV
Date:	October 2025
Volume:	111
ISSN:	2352-7102
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.1016/j.jobe.2025.113327 DOI 2472181 Other
Divisions:	Schools > Nottingham School of Art & Design
Record created by:	Jeremy Silvester
Date Added:	17 Sep 2025 09:19
Last Modified:	17 Sep 2025 09:19
Related URLs:	Publisher
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/54347

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