Predicting the perceived restorative potential of bird sounds through acoustics and aesthetics

Some, but not all, bird sounds are associated with perceptions of
restoration from stress and cognitive fatigue. The perceptual properties
that might underpin these differences are understudied. In this online
study, ratings of perceived restorative potential (PRP) and aesthetic
properties of 50 bird sounds were provided by 174 residents of the United
Kingdom. These were merged with data on objectively measured acoustic
properties of the sounds. Regression analyses demonstrated that sound
level, harmonics, and frequency, and perceptions of complexity, familiarity,
and pattern, were significant predictors of PRP and cognitive and affective
appraisals of bird sounds. These findings shed light on the structural and
perceptual properties that may influence restorative potential of acoustic
natural stimuli. Finally, through their potential associations with meaning,
these findings highlight the importance of further study of semantic or
meaning-based properties within the restorative environments literature.