Effects of seven kinds of sound sources on electroencephalogram physiology of tourists in forest park.

Abstract

As one of the important environmental factors, sound source in forest park has an important influence on people's visiting experience. In this study, we examined the responses of 32 university students to seven kinds of sound sources in forest park by electroencephalogram (EEG) technology, and analyzed the effects of sound sources on tourists' EEG physiology. The results showed that different sound sources had certain effects on improving tou-rists' sense of security, pleasure and fatigue. Three sound sources, including water sound, insect sound, and rain sound, were the best in improving tourists' sense of security. Wind and traffic noise had negative impacts on tou-rists' sense of security. Tourists had the highest sense of pleasure when listening to the rain, followed by the sound of water and insects. In the effect of relieving tourists' fatigue, the sounds of rain, bird singing, water flow and wind sound were the best. Traffic and human activity sounds, two kinds of artificial sound sources, could not alle-viate people's fatigue. In the different genders, EEG response of females was greater than that of males. Females felt the safest when hearing flowing water, while males felt the safest with the sound of rain. This study revealed the differences in the influence of sound source types on people's EEG physiology. In the future, the design of forest park should build soundscape according to the use requirements and give full consideration of its positive effects.