Development and validation of a music based soundscape for wellness enhancement in nature environments

The purpose of the study was to develop a music based soundscape and to evaluate its effects on perceived restorativeness, perceived stress and mood states. Healthy adults in their twenties and thirties were randomly assigned to either an experimental group or control group. The experimental group was presented with a music based soundscape designed to reflect the phases of a mountain climbing activity: Ascending, resting at the summit, and descending. Data were collected through pre-and post-tests with the Perceived Restoration Scale based on nature soundscape (PRS), the Korean version of the Profile Of Mood States-Brief (K-POMS-B), and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-K) and analysed using a two-way repeated measures ANOVA. The results revealed that the experimental group showed significant improvements in all dimensions of perceived restorativeness (being away, fascination, preference, and self-reflection; p < .05) and a significant reduction in negative stress factors compared to the control group (p < .05). While significant changes in mood states were observed over time in both groups, the main effect of group and the interaction were not significant. The results suggested that the therapeutic application of music, tailored to user, activity and place characteristics may positively improve their attentional restoration and stress reduction.