TDRP-2023-0011 Proof Hi

International Journal of Sustainable Tropical Design Research and Practice
Exploring the Concept of Ambient Sound for Well-being: A

Systematic Review of Theories and Evidence
International Journal of Sustainable Tropical Design Research and

Journal:
Practice
Manuscript ID TDRP-2023-0011
Manuscript Type: Review Article

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ambient sound, ambient noise, environment sound, nature sound, well-

Keywords:
being
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https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/alamcipta_upm
Page 1 of 21 International Journal of Sustainable Tropical Design Research and Practice
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EXPLORING THE CONCEPT OF AMBIENT SOUND FOR WELL-BEING: A
4 SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THEORIES AND EVIDENCE
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9 ABSTRACT
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11 The concept of ambient sound, also known as background noise or environmental sound, has been
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13 studied in various fields such as acoustics, psychology, and architecture. However, a clear and
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consistent definition of ambient sound has yet to be established. In this systematic literature review, we
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16 aim to identify and analyse the various definitions of ambient sound found in the scientific literature.
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18 We searched multiple databases, including JSTOR, PubMed, and Scopus, using keywords related to
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20 ambient sound and its synonyms. A total of 158 articles were examines and only 42 articles included in
21 the review. The results of this review suggest that ambient sound can be defined as a combination of
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23 various sounds present in the environment, including both natural and human-made sounds. However,
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different fields of study have different perspectives on what constitutes ambient sound and its
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importance. This review highlights the need for a more comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach
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28 to defining ambient sound and its role in our environment.
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Keywords: Ambient sound, ambient noise, environment sound, nature sound, well-being
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International Journal of Sustainable Tropical Design Research and Practice Page 2 of 21
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1. INTRODUCTION
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5 The concept of ambient sound has roots dating back to the 1970s when Brian Eno introduced a new
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genre of music known as Ambient Music (Tam, 1988). Eno’s music is known for its focus on creating
8 a specific atmosphere or mood through the use of repetitive structures and ambient sounds. It is
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10 interesting to note that this idea of ambient sound can be traced back to John Cage, a prominent
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12 composer and contemporary of Eno. Cage famously defined silence as ‘ambient noise’, a definition that
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may have inspired Eno’s creation of the genre of Ambient Music (Tam, 1988). This background
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15 information sets the stage for exploring the relationship between ambient sound and its impact on
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17 various aspects of life.
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19 Scholars consistently discuss the ambiguity and confusion around the interpretation of the
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21 concept of ambient sound. There were a little studies state about ambient sound only which is it more
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related with sound around us discussed in environmental noise or sound study ranging from the effects
24 and the strategies to overcome it (Bloemsma et al., 2022; Michaud et al., 2022; Clark et al., 2020;
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26 Minichilli et al., 2018) , noise pollution study (Thompson et al., 2021; Schubert, 2019) , natural sound
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28 or sound of nature (Boersma, 1996), background music or ambient music (Tam, 1988) and ambient
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sound or noise (Davis & Nussbaum, 2008; LeNestour et al., 2014; Salvin et al., 2015; Shoemark et al.,
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31 2016). Despite its importance, ambient sound has been largely overlooked by researchers, with limited
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33 studies focusing on defining, characterizing, and understanding its effects.
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35 In the context of well-being, ambient sound has been shown to have restorative effects on
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psychological and physiological aspects of well-being (Largo-Wight et al., 2016). Moreover, exposure
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to nature sounds has been found to improve working memory and cognitive performance in adolescents
40 (Abbott, 2015). Van Praag et al. (2017) reported that nature sounds could induce brain connectivity
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42 changes and increase parasympathetic activity, which may relate to stress reduction. Furthermore, the
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44 effects of nature sounds have been linked to increased feelings of restoration and the recall of positive
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affect and memories (Ratcliffe et al., 2021). Despite the promising findings, research on the effects of
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47 ambient sound on adolescent well-being remains limited. Furthermore, there is a need for research that
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49 explores the mechanisms through which ambient sound impacts well-being and that considers the
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51 individual and contextual factors that may moderate these effects.
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53 In this systematic literature review, we aim to identify and analyse the various definitions of
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55 ambient sound found in the scientific literature. We searched multiple databases, including JSTOR,
56 PubMed, and Scopus, using keywords related to ambient sound and its synonyms. A total of 158 articles
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58 were examine and only 42 articles included in the review, spanning from 1992 to 2022. The purpose of
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60 this review is to examine the current understanding of the concept of ambient sound and how related
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field with it is being define. The review aims to identify the different perspectives and approaches to
4 defining ambient sound and its role in our environment. Additionally, the review aims to identify any
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6 gaps in the literature and areas for future research. By synthesizing the existing literature and
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8 highlighting key findings, this review seeks to provide a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of
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ambient sound, addressing questions such as:
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12 1. What are the main theories and concepts underlying ambient sound?
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14 2. How does ambient sound affect human and behaviour?
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16 3. What is the current evidence on the effects of ambient sound on health and well-being?
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18 By answering these questions, this review aims to inform future research and practice on ambient sound
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20 and its impact on our lives.
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2. METHODS
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29 2.1 Specifying the research question and search strategy

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31 In this section, we outline the research questions and the methodology employed for selecting and
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33 analysing articles for the systematic review. This review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA
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35 (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines (Moher et al., 2009),
36 to assess the quality and potential risk of biases of the included studies. The review encompasses both
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38 quantitative and qualitative studies to gain a comprehensive understanding of the global definition of
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40 ambient sound. The systematic review titled "exploring the concept of ambient Sound for well-being:
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Theories and Evidence" was undertaken to answer the research question, "Does exposure to ambient
43 sound have negative and positive effects on human being, and, if so, what are the underlying
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45 mechanisms or theory to define ambient sound for this outcome?" Our objective was to examine a broad
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47 range of exposures, outcomes, and study designs in order to identify studies that addressed each aspect
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of our research question, including the causal mechanisms.
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53 2.2 Database search
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55 The systematic literature review was initiated on 27th January 2023 with the aim of exploring the
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57 concept of ambient sound and its impact on theories and evidence related to well-being. The review was
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59 performed by searching through the Scopus, PubMed, and Jstor databases using the following search
60 query: ((noise OR "environment sound" OR "nature sound" OR "background sound" OR "ambient
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sound") AND (adolescen* OR student OR child) AND (wellbeing)). The search terms were selected
4 based on an initial assessment and were refined to ensure that only relevant papers were included in the
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6 review. Further relevant article studies were added from reference lists of Google Scholar. The review
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8 followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA)
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guidelines (Moher et al, 2009).
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14 2.3 Selecting the evidence
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16 The papers were reviewed in two rounds based on their title, abstract, and full text. The review was
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18 conducted in English, and only peer-reviewed articles were considered, with book chapters, thesis paper,
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20 and conference papers being excluded. The first round of the review focused on assessing the relevance
21 of the title, and the paper had to clearly mention ambient sound, theories, concepts, evidence, or
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23 products. In the second round, the relevance of the abstracts was assessed. The study had to include
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tests on the influence of ambient sound from a theoretical and empirical perspective, and the author had
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to clearly state the dichotomy or confrontation being studied. Studies that did not use ambient sound in
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28 relation to nature or the environment were excluded.
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During the third round, a full-text analysis was conducted. To be eligible for inclusion in the
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34 definitions related to ambient sound in the search query. The studies were also required to provide a
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36 clear description of the tests performed or to use standardized tests that aligned with the objectives of
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37 the review. Articles that did not mention the terms 'ambient sound', 'environment sound', 'nature sound',
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39 or 'noise' were excluded from the review. In addition, articles that were purely conceptual and lacked a
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solid theoretical or empirical basis were also excluded due to a lack of credible evidence.
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43 The remaining papers were included in the review and analysed to provide insights into the
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45 concept of ambient sound and its impact on theories and evidence related to well-being. The second
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author was consulted in cases of uncertainty during the review process. The included articles were then
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48 analysed in detail, with a focus on the research design, methods, results, and conclusions related to the
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50 concept of ambient sound and its impact on well-being outcomes. The articles were evaluated and
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52 categorized based on the theories and evidence they presented, as well as the type of sound exposure
53 they focused on (e.g. nature sounds, urban sounds, etc.). The results of the systematic literature review
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55 were then synthesized and presented in a comprehensive manner, highlighting the key findings and
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57 trends in the field of ambient sound and well-being.
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59 In order to present the results in a clear and organized manner, tables, figures, and diagrams may
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be used to illustrate the key themes and patterns emerging from the review. These visual aids could help
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to summarize the findings of the individual articles and make it easier to identify any gaps or areas in
4 need of further research. The systematic literature review aimed to provide a comprehensive and up-to-
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6 date overview of the theories and evidence regarding the impact of ambient sound on well-being. By
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8 rigorously reviewing the existing literature and synthesizing the findings, the review aimed to inform
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future research and practice in the field. Ultimately, the goal was to contribute to a better understanding
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11 of how ambient sound affects well-being and how it can be optimized for positive outcomes.
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16 2.4 Data extraction and analysis
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18 In the systematic review, a data-extraction table was created to gather relevant information and material
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20 related to the research questions. This task was performed by the first author who independently
21 extracted data from 142 studies. The table included a variety of study characteristics, including basic
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23 data, descriptive data, and outcome data. The basic data included details such as the author's name,
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publication year, and country. The descriptive data comprised of information related to ambient sound
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and its effects or impacts, the aim of the study, study design, sample size, population, theories and
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28 definitions of ambient sound, dichotomy of ambient sound, and the key findings. This information was
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30 collected to provide a comprehensive understanding of the studies reviewed. (Table 2).
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34 2.5 Quality assessment
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Quality assessment of the selected literature was performed using the Covidence online platform.
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38 Covidence is an online platform that provides a streamlined and efficient process for conducting
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40 quality assessments and data extraction, as well as tracking agreement between multiple reviewers
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42 (covidence.org). It is a widely used platform that can help you to manage the complex and time-
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consuming task of conducting a systematic review. A total of 158 papers were initially screened, and
45 their titles and abstracts were reviewed. The screening process resulted in 12 papers being voted as
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47 ‘YES’, 79 papers being voted as ‘NO’, and the remaining 67 papers being voted as ‘MAYBE’.
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52 1st Review 2nd Review
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35%
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59 Yes No Maybe YES NO
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Figure 1: Summary of assessment in Covidence
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7 The second reviewer evaluated the papers marked as ‘MAYBE’ and the final outcome was that 55 were
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9 deemed ‘YES’ while the rest 103 were deemed ‘NO’. The inclusion criteria for the study were as
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follows: Ambient sound; Environment sound; Noise; Nature sound; Wellbeing; Well-being; Mental
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12 health. While the exclusion criteria for the study were as follows: Conceptual papers; Studies on
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14 animals; Studies on landscape; Studies on foreground. These criteria were used to ensure that the
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16 selected literature was relevant to the study and met the specified requirements for inclusion. The
17 process of quality assessment helped to minimize bias and ensure the validity of the findings.
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20 The quality assessments and data extractions for each paper were performed by two researchers,
21 and their results were compared. If there were any discrepancies, they were resolved through discussion
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23 until a consensus was reached. Although the quality scores were broad and covered a wide range of
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disciplines, they were not used to eliminate studies from the review, but were considered in synthesizing
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the results and composing the final review.
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31 3. RESULTS
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35 3.1 Papers identified
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38 In total, 142 papers were identified from a search of the databases with 28 additional papers were found
39 through a Google Scholar which the total paper identified is 170. After removal of 12 duplicates this
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41 left 158 papers identified from the database search. Following the PRISMA guidelines process of
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43 searching for papers, duplicates were removed manually, and the titles and abstracts of the remaining
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158 papers were screened through two rounds of review on the Covidence online platform, based on
46 the inclusion and exclusion criteria there were 103 papers were excluded. The remaining 55 articles was
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48 then evaluated in the third stage based on full text review. Studies were excluded if they were not related
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50 to ambient, environment, or nature sounds, if the study population is not for human, if the outcomes did
51 not contribute to wellbeing or understanding of theories related to ambient sound, or if they were review
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53 articles without related to ambient sound and when there were too many variables including of ambient
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55 sound.
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Additional records identified through
Identification
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other resources (n=28)
5 Identified articles through database
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10 Duplicates removed (n=12)
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Screening
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13 Records screened Records excluded (from title or abstract)
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Eligibility
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Full-text articles excluded (n=13)
20 for eligibility (n=55)
21 - No ambient sound or
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23 mention (n=6)
24 - Not on human population (n=3)
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Included
Studies included in review - Consist of many variables

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(n=42)
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Figure 2: Flow diagram of literature search and selection
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38 In this review, there were 42 included paper in the final stage based on PRISMA guidelines as shown
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44 3.2 Summary of papers
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46 Table 1 describes the papers identified. Nearly all the studies were related concept with the ambient
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48 sound and were resulted from the search databases. Based on the screening and included phases that
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50 have been conducted, some papers have been suggested for review, even though they do not contain the
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key terms "ambient sound." Therefore, it is important to review these related concept papers to identify
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53 their relevance to ambient sound and what they share in common. Defining the scope of the review and
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55 specific research questions is essential, and for this paper, the review will focus on exploring the impact
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57 of ambient sound on the well-being of adolescents. Based on the related papers in Figure 1.2 above, the
58 review will focus on the effects of ambient sound on human well-being, including both positive and
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60 negative impacts.
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5 Table 1: Terms use to define ambient sound concept
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7 Terms use to define ambient sound Articles use of term
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9 1. Noise pollution 6
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2. Natural ambient sound 1
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14 3. Environmental noise 7
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16 4. Noise exposure 11
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18 5. Environment sound 2
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6. Acoustic and auditory 1
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11. Ambient noise 1
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34 Total = 42
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38 Table 2: Content characteristics and analysis
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40 Authors Sound relates Outcomes Research area Context
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41 Thompson et Noise from Brain and cognition, sleep Public and Noise
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al., 2021 transport, industry disturbances, stress and learned Environmental pollution
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and community helpless health sciences
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45
activity
46 Bloemsma et Road traffic noise Stress, annoyance and sleep Public and Noise
47 al., 2022 disturbances Environmental pollution
48 health sciences
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50 Boersma, Natural ambient Unsp. Acoustic Natural
51 1996 sound produced by ambient
52 natural source, sound
53 noise caused by
54 human activities.
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Michaud et Unsp. Physical health and noise Psychology Environme
57 al., 2022 annoyance ntal noise
58 Schubert, Transportation Head and stomach aches and a Environmental Noise
59 2019 noise worse sleep quality, sleep research and pollution
60 disturbance public health
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Clark et al., Road traffic Mental health, wellbeing and Environmental Environme
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4
2020 quality of life research and ntal noise
5 public health
6 Minicilli et Sound from urban Children’s learning and Environmental Environme
7 al., 2018 areas performance at school research and ntal noise
8 public health
9
10 Cayir et al., Transport and Increase in blood pressure in Public health Noise
11 2018 industrial activities elevated blood pressure and exposure
12 hypertension
13
Restrepo et Sound from natural Wellbeing Applied human Environme
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al., 2015 environment and factors and nt sound
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16 architecture of ergonomics
17 classroom
18 Foulkes et Noise from Health and wellbeing, sleep Health Noise
19 al., 2019 environment disturbance exposure
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21 Alhenieidi & Unsp. No significant effect of noise or Psychology Noise
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22 Smith, 2013 information overload scale scores exposure

23 on academic attainment
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Shepherd et Any noise or Health and wellbeing Environmental Noise
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al., 2013 vibration emitted research and exposure
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from any building, public health
28 premises, or land.
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29 Blake & Acoustic Sociality and survival, and the anthropology Acoustic
30 Cros, 2015 environment sound effects of environment on socially and
31 significant human sound auditory
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33 Zipf et al., Anthropogenic Stress, cognitive impairment and Environmental Noise
34 2020 sources, road illness in humans. Insomnia, high research and pollution
35 traffic, airplanes, blood pressure and increased risk public health
36 landscaping of heart
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37 services, and
38 construction
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40 Jarosinska et Produce by human Hearing impairment and tinnitus, Environmental Environme
al., 2018 activities poor quality of life, mental health research and ntal noise
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42 and wellbeing public health
43 Luszczynska Noise produce by Annoyance Medicine and Noise
44 et al., 2014 wind turbine environmental exposure
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health
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47 Godlee, 1992 Noise in the Poor quality of sleep Medical Environme
48 environment ntal noise
49 produce by the
50 industrialised world
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52 Dhambov & Result of Annoyance Noise and Noise
53 Dimitrova, population growth, health pollution
54 2014 urbanization and
55 technological
56 developments
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Terzakis et Sound produce Short term effect: concentration, Environmental Noise
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al., 2022 from urban area sleep, performance, annoyance research and exposure
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60 and stress responses public health
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Long term effect:
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psychophysiological reactions and
5 mental
6 Bogdanov et Bird song, water Improve wellbeing Applied Nature
7 al., 2022 lapping, wind in acoustics sound
8 tress
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10 Kempen et Aircraft and road Children’s blood pressure and Occupational Noise
11 al., 2006 traffic heart rate and exposure
12 environmental
13 medicine
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Luszczynska Wind turbines Sleep disturbances and Environmental Noise
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16 et al., 2018 sound psychological distress research and pollution
17 public health
18 Montiel et In learning spaces cognition Sustainability Noise
19 al., 2019 exposure
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21 Basner et al., Environment of Annoyance, disturbs sleep, Public health Noise
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22 2013 hospital performance, mental health exposure

23 Hagood, Noise cancelling Reduce ambient noise for the user Noise and Noise
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2011 headphones, which mobile cancellatio
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are designed to production of n
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dramatically reduce personal space
28 the wearer’s
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29 perception of
30 ambient sound
31 Kamp et al., Noise in the home Disturbed sleep, Cognitive Acoustics Noise
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32 2013 and school development and health society exposure

33 environment
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35 Gray et al., Innumerable Unsp. Biology and Soundscap
36 2001 natural sounds from music e
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37 nature
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39 Verduyckt et Sound environment Stress, mental and physical Acoustics Environme
40 al., 2019 of schools fatigue in children and teacher and nt sound
disrupt student learning
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42 Clark & Environmental Quality of life, wellbeing and Environmental Environme
43 Paunovic, noise from road mental health research and ntal noise
44 2018 traffic, aircraft, public health
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railway, wind-
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turbine
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48 Downs et al., Ambient Improving sleep in the ICU and Psychology Ambient
49 2010 health care system sound
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51 Mehta et al., Ambient Affect creativity Consumer Ambient
52 2012 research noise
53 Chattopadhy Sound record from Emerging spatiality and public- Communication Ambient
54 ay, 2017 film site, or ness in sound artworks and the public sound
55 location or space.
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57 Schreckenbe Aircraft noise Annoyance, stress, mental and Psychology, Environme
58 rg, 2017 psychical health, well being environmental ntal noise
59 and social
60
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Ratcliffe, Acoustic from Theoretical development for Psychology Soundscap
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4
2021 environment broader restorative environments e
5 research
6 Alvarsson et Sound from nature stress Environmental Nature
7 al., 2010 and noisy research and sound
8 environments public health
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10 Luo et al., Acoustic properties Impact quality of life Psychology Nature
11 2021 of the natural sound
12 environment
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Shu & Ma, Surrounding Reduce stress Environmental Ambient
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2019 location and research and sound
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16 circumstances public health
17 Davis & Nature sounds in Effects emotional and abstracts Health Ambient
18 Nussbaum, health care thought before physiologic sound
19 2008 responses occur
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21 Shoemark et Ambient sound Reduction in the number of noise Public health Ambient
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22 al., 2016 environment in events sound

23 intensive care
24 wards
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Luo et al., Exposure to nature Learning performance among Environmental Nature
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27
2022 sound through a university students research and sound
28 mobile application public health
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29 Emfield & Nature sound such Acute exposure to relaxing Psychology Nature
30 Neider, 2014 as birdsong pictorial and auditory stimulus is sound
31 insufficient to induce
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32 improvements in cognitive
33 performance
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35 Dohmen et Unsp. Cognitive performance and Environmental Noise
36 al., 2022 helplessness in childhood research and exposure
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37 public health
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39 Note. Unsp.: unspecified
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45 4. FINDINGS
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49 4.1 Theoretical foundations and concepts associated with ambient sound (RQ1))
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51 There were discrepancies in the definition and theoretical underpinning of the many terminologies that
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53 reflected the idea of ambient sound. Noise pollution, according to Thompson et al. (2021), noise
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55 pollution is a problem in many areas with a human population since it is caused by social, industrial,
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and transportation activities. Humans are exposed to a variety of environmental hazards and comforts,
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58 such as noise pollution from motorised road traffic (Bloemsma et al., 2022). It may also be described
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60 as an obtrusive, loud sound emanating from the vehicle (Schubert, 2019). Noise pollution, often known
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as unwelcome and upsetting sound, permeates modern life. Road traffic, aircraft, building, landscaping,
4 and other artificial sources of noise pose dangers to the health of people and wildlife, particularly in and
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6 around cities where noise pollution is most prevalent (Zipf et al., 2020). Noise levels over 55 dB are
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8 regarded as bothersome for the comfort of the ears. As a result of population increase, urbanisation, and
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technological advancements, noise pollution is continuously increasing in scope, frequency, and
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11 intensity (Dhzambov & Dimitrova, 2014). While the natural ambient sound is defined by Boersma
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13 (1996) as noise that is unidentifiable and generated by both human and human sources.
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15 Environmental noise, which is defined by Michaud et al. (2022) as a noise nuisance. It is
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17 typically understood as a self-reported unfavourable response to unwanted noise and encompasses a
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19 range of reactions that bother, disturb, or annoy a person. Most studies examined road traffic noise in
20 Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Finland, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, and
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22 the United Kingdom (Clark et al., 2020). According to Minichilli et al. (2018), noise is acknowledged
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24 as a significant environmental problem that has an impact on people's quality of life and welfare,
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especially in metropolitan settings. When noises are undesirable or damaging, they are considered noise.
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27 Several human activities produce noise, and exposure to it on a large scale from transportation is
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29 particularly concerning (Jarosinska et al., 2018). Reactions to environmental noise depend as much on
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31 the person as on the type and level of noise (Godlee, 1992). There have been research on the impact of
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32 environmental noise, such as that from trains, planes, and wind turbines, on quality of life, according to
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34 Clark and Paunovic (2018). One environmental stressor that has been identified is noise.
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36 Noise exposure, as defined by Alhenieidi & Smith (2010), is noise that acts as an additional
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38 source of information and demands additional resources. According to Sheperd et al. (2013), noise
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40 nuisance is "..when any noise or vibration occurs in or is transmitted from any building, premises, or
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land to a degree that is likely to constitute injurious to health." This definition is taken from the New
43 Zealand Health Act (1956). Basner et al. defined noise as unwanted sound (2013). A few paper discuss
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45 about the environmental stressor of community noise is acknowledged to induce annoyance, diminished
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47 wellbeing, and possibly non-auditory negative impacts on health (Luszczynska et al., 2014). Kempen
48 et al., (2006) state that 30% of the European Union’s population is exposed to levels of road traffic noise
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50 of ore than 55dB(A). A cascade of events leading from noise exposure to short-term and long-term
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52 health repercussions is possible. It is presumable that feedback mechanisms and mitigating factors exist,
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54 which means that noise may have an indirect negative impact on health (Kamp et al., 2013).
55 Environment sound, according to Restrepo et al. (2015), environment sound is a type of sound that gives
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57 a space a particular character and determines whether or not the people who occupy it find their hearing
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59 to be pleasant or bothersome. This implies that sound has a significant impact on how a space is defined
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(Restrepo et al., 2015). However, Verduyckt et al. (2009) claim in their study that the typical sound
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levels in classrooms are well over the necessary 40–60 dBA for clear speech intelligibility, making the
4 sound environment of schools worrying throughout the world.
5
6
7
Acoustic and auditory, the idea is based on the soundscape theory, and the author identified R.
8 Murray Schafer as the term's originator in the 1960s and 1970s. It is speaking of the acoustics of the
9
10 surroundings or locations. Examples include making positive and negative distinctions between settings
11
12 where sound overlapped less frequently and those where it diminished aural clarity. (2015) Blake and
13
Cross. Studies of environmental sound have also been influenced by the dichotomy of soundscapes,
14
15 such as sound and quiet, indoor or outdoor sounds, pleasant and unpleasant sounds, urban and rural
16
17 sounds, and human-made and nonanthropogenic "natural" sounds. Nature sound, according to
18
19 Bogdanov et al. (2022), the presence of nature sound such as bird song, water lapping, wind in trees is
20 known to improve wellbeing. While technology noise is generally seen as an unpleasant component of
21
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22 the sound environment, natural noises are typically considered as pleasant, according to Alvarsson et
23
24 al. (2010). Based on the review paper by Luo et al. (2021) on nature sound, which only include the
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acoustic properties of the natural environment, are perceived to be pleasant and relaxing and have a link
26
27 with perceived restoration. According to the review, the psychological and cognitive effects of exposure
28
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29 to nature have been supported by two widely recognized theories, i.e., stress recovery theory (SRT) and
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31 attention restoration theory (ART)and were examined in many empirical studies (Luo et al., 2022).
iew
32 Nature sound such as birdsong, are perceived to be restorative (Ratcliffe et al., 2013).
33
34
35 Noise cancellation, it is defines as to reduce the wearer’s perception of ambient sound using a
36 gadget which is headphones. In the context of noise cancellation headphone by Bose Corporation, they
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38 use a soundscaping as a term which defines as technological fabrication of physical and psychological
39
40 space through the aural (Hagood, 2011).
ly
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42 Soundscape, defined as the acoustic environment as perceived, understood, and/or experienced by
43
44 people (Ratcliffe, 2021). Our world is filled with innumerable natural sounds, and from the earliest
45
times humas have been intrigued and inspired by this soundscape. Gray et al. (2001) state that people
46
47 who live close to nature perceive a wider range of sounds than those of us living in industrializd
48
49 societies, who rely heavily on advances in sound technology. Numerous studies have documented the
50
51 positive effects of interacting with natural environments (Shu & Ma, 2019).
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53 Ambient sound, the concepts of psychoacoustics, which are the capacity to produce spatial
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55 perceptions through the interaction of sound, hearing, and the "mind's eye," are applied by ambient
56 sound technology (Davis & Nussbaum, 2008). Ambient sounds are defined in the context of film as
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58 sounds that are captured from a location, though in the context of sound art, this location is one where
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60 field recordings are made with the intention of developing the production of a sound work through
1
2
3
artistic intervention and transformation of the location (Chattopadhyay, 2017). The sound of a specific
4 area or space is what is meant by the term "ambience" in the context of filmmaking. This definition
5
6 links the concept of ambiance to related concepts like environment, atmosphere, and background sound.
7
8 on the other hand, for the term ambient noise, according to Mehta et al. (2012), is any undesirable sound.
9
A vibration or travelling wave is an oscillation of pressure that is transferred across a medium and is
10
11 referred to as a sound (solid, liquid, or gas). Hearing is made possible by the pressure of these vibrations
12
13 within a specific frequency range, which promotes ear sensitivity. As a result, the sound pressure level,
14
15 or "sound level," measured in decibels, affects hearing (dB).
16
17
18
19 4.2 Impact of ambient sound on human and behaviour (RQ2)
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21 In the related field of study on ambient sound, it shows that a few impact were resulted such as brain
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23 and cognition (7 studies), sleep disturbances (10 studies), stress (7 studies), learned helpless (2 studies),
24
annoyance (7 studies), physical health (6 studies), mental health (12 studies). There also impact on
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wellbeing (7 studies), quality of life (4 studies), and effect creativity (1 study). While there also no
27
28 significant effect were resulted from the ambient sound (Smith, 2013). Positive effect on nature sound
ev
29
30 such as improve wellbeing (Bogdanov et al., 2022), ambient sound improving sleep in the intensive
31
iew
32 care unit and health care system (Downs et al., 2010) and also ambient sound with surrounding location
33 and circumstances can reduce stress (Shu & Ma, 2019). There also an invention to reduce ambient noise
34
35 for user using a headphone which based on soundscaping technology (Hagood, 2011), and using mobile
36
application on exposure to nature sound helps increase the learning performance (Luo et al., 2022). The
On
37
38
39
concept of noise as a stress-inducing environmental burden it is plausible to assume that long-term
40 exposure to aircraft noise leads to chronic annoyance and perceived stress followed on the long run by
ly
41
42 impairment of health-related quality of life including both physical and mental well-being
43
44 (Scherckenberg et al., 2017).
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53 4.3 Current available evidence on the impact of ambient sound on health and well-being (RQ3)
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55 Based on the reviewed study, there were an eight current study that we found from the year of 2019 to
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57 2022. Ambient sound can have significant effects on human health and well-being, including brain
58 function, cognition, sleep, stress levels, and mental health. Recent research has shown that exposure to
59
60 high levels of ambient noise, such as traffic noise, can have detrimental effects on human health and
1
2
3
well-being (Bloemsma et al., 2022; Foulkes et al., 2019; Michaud et al., 2022; Terzakis et al., 2022). It
4 can also cause sleep disturbances, leading to various physical and mental health problems (Bloemsma
5
6 et al., 2022; Schubert, 2019; Terzakis et al., 2022). However, research has also shown that certain types
7
8 of ambient sound can have positive effects on human health and well-being. For instance, exposure to
9
nature sound has been found to improve well-being (Bogdanov et al., 2022) and ambient sound in the
10
11 surrounding location and circumstances can reduce stress (Shu & Ma, 2019). Additionally, sound
12
13 scaping technology and mobile applications have been developed to reduce ambient noise and promote
14
15 exposure to nature sound, respectively (Luo et al., 2022).
16
17 In summary, the current evidence suggests that ambient sound can have both positive and
18
19 negative effects on human health and well-being. It is important for researchers, policymakers, and
20 healthcare professionals to consider the impact of ambient sound on human health and well-being and
21
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22 to develop strategies to mitigate the negative effects and promote the positive effects.
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24
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5. CONCLUSION
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28
ev
29 In conclusion, this systematic review has provided a comprehensive overview of the concept of ambient
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sound and its impacts on human behavior and well-being. The study highlights the discrepancies in the
31
iew
32 definitions and theoretical foundations of various terminologies associated with ambient sound.
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34 Furthermore, the review emphasizes the importance of recognizing the negative impacts of noise
35
36 pollution and environmental noise on human health and well-being, as well as the positive effects of
On
37 natural sound. The findings suggest that exposure to ambient sound can have significant impacts on
38
39 various domains of human behavior and well-being, including brain function and cognition, sleep, stress
40
levels, physical and mental health, creativity, well-being, and quality of life.
ly
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43 The review also identifies technological advancements that have been developed to reduce the
44
45 negative impacts of ambient sound on individuals. Finally, the study concludes that further research is
46
necessary to better understand the impacts of ambient sound and develop strategies to mitigate its
47
48 negative effects and enhance its positive effects.
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International Journal of Sustainable Tropical Design Research and Practice

Exploring the Concept of Ambient Sound for Well-being: A

International Journal of Sustainable Tropical Design Research and

Manuscript Type: Review Article

ambient sound, ambient noise, environment sound, nature sound, well-

29 2.1 Specifying the research question and search strategy

19 Full-text articles assessed

22 environment sound or noise

Studies included in review - Consist of many variables

29 10. Ambient sound 5

22 Smith, 2013 information overload scale scores exposure

22 2013 hospital performance, mental health exposure

32 2013 and school development and health society exposure

22 al., 2016 environment in events sound

29 Psychology. 12, 699908. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.699908

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