Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Yasushi SUKO is a doctoral student at the Faculty of Social Sciences/Psychology, Tampere University, Finland. He studies the effects of nature experience on people, especially the restorative effect of repeatedly listening to natural sounds (e.g., birdsong, the sound of a running river, etc.). He is currently a member of the EnviWell Research Group, directed by Professor Kalevi Korpela.

 

In this episode we deep-dive into the acoustic stimuli and elaborate on the various potentials listening to specific sounds can have for health promotion, restoration and wellbeing. The roles of nature sounds are discussed and practical applications both for clinical and non-clinical contexts are investigated.

 

Time Stamps and Related References/Projects:

 

PART II:

 

04:40 Y. Suko’s interest in natural sounds originates from J.S. Bach’s (1685-1750) music and Ivan Shishkin’s (1832-1898) forest landscape paintings.

 

06:10 Y. Suko’s research on alleviating surgeons’ stress through listening to natural sounds.

 

  • Suko, Y., Shindo, T., Saito, K., Takayama, N., Warisawa, S., Sakuma, T., Ito, M., Kytölä, P., Nummi, T., & Korpela, K. (2022). Alleviating surgeons’ stress through listening to natural sounds in a half-encapsulated rest space after an operation: A pilot, longitudinal field study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(19), 12736. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912736

 

11:28 Literature on which Y. Suko based the audio files for his studies.

 

 

  • Ratcliffe, E., Gatersleben, B., & Sowden, P. T. (2013). Bird sounds and their contributions to perceived attention restoration and stress recovery. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 36, 221–228. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2013.08.004

 

13:20 Three theories explaining why natural sounds are restorative: attention restoration theory (ART), stress recovery theory (SRT), and conditioned restoration theory (CRT).

 

  • Kaplan, R., & Kaplan, S. (1989). The experience of nature: A psychological perspective. Cambridge university press.

 

  • Ulrich, R. S., Simons, R. F., Losito, B. D., Fiorito, E., Miles, M. A., & Zelson, M. (1991). Stress recovery during exposure to natural and urban environments. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 11(3), 201–230. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0272-4944(05)80184-7

 

  • Egner, L. E., Sütterlin, S., & Calogiuri, G. (2020). Proposing a framework for the restorative effects of nature through conditioning: Conditioned restoration theory. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(18), 6792. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17186792

 

21:20 PART II

 

22:35 Y. Suko’s research on the effects of faint traffic noise mixed with birdsong.

 

  • Suko, Y., Saito, K., Takayama, N., Warisawa, S., & Sakuma, T. (2019). Effect of faint road traffic noise mixed in birdsong on the perceived restorativeness and listeners’ physiological response: An exploratory study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(24), 4985. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16244985

 

33:20 Future applications of restorative natural sounds in clinical and non-clinical settings.

 

38:50 Restorative natural sounds are related to salutogenesis.

 

 

40:00 Application of restorative natural sounds in public spaces.

 

46:45 Ideas for playing restorative natural sounds in prisons and psychiatric wards.

 

  • Chrysikou, E. (2014). Architecture for psychiatric environments and therapeutic spaces. Ios Press.

 

  • Maja, V., & Ojala, K. (2022). Lyhytaikaisen virtuaalisia luontoelementtejä sisältävän intervention vaikutus  vankien tunnekokemuksiin [The effect of a short-term intervention containing virtual nature elements on prisoners’ emotional experiences] [Bachelor’s thesis, Tampere University]. Trepo. https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202205164943

 

56:40 The effects of subjective sound source attributions (or biases) on the restorative properties of natural sounds as such.

 

  • Haga, A., Halin, N., Holmgren, M., & Sörqvist, P. (2016). Psychological restoration can depend on stimulus-source attribution: A challenge for the evolutionary account? Frontiers in Psychology, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01831

 

  • Koivisto, M., Jalava, E., Kuusisto, L., Railo, H., & Grassini, S. (2022). Top-down processing and nature connectedness predict psychological and physiological effects of nature. Environment and Behavior, 54(5), 917–945. https://doi.org/10.1177/00139165221107535

 

  • Ratcliffe, E., & Korpela, K. M. (2016). Memory and place attachment as predictors of imagined restorative perceptions of favourite places. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 48, 120–130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2016.09.005

 

  • Suko, Y., & Korpela, K. (2023). Live-streamed, recorded, or synthesized: The effects of different labels given to the same natural sound on its self-reported restorativeness [preregistration form]. OSF Registries. https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/4KWVZ

 

67:35 Y. Suko’s ideas on how this research field will develop in the future: Long-term restorative effects of natural sounds.

 

  • Suko, Y., & Korpela, K. (2024). Accumulation of self-reported restorative effects of natural sounds: A seven-day intervention indoors [Manuscript submitted for publication]. Faculty of Social Sciences/Psychology, Tampere University.

 

  • Suko, Y., Saito, K., & Korpela, K. (2024). Natural sounds vs. favorite music: which is the more restorative indoor leisure activity when listened to repeatedly? [Manuscript submitted for publication]. Faculty of Social Sciences/Psychology, Tampere University.

 

71:00 Y. Suko introduces his supervisor and the research group to which he belongs.

 

 

EnviWell Research Group members’ articles (excerpts):

 

  • Hyvönen, K., Salonen, K., Paakkolanvaara, J.-V., Väkeväinen, P., & Korpela, K. (2023). Effects of nature-based intervention in the treatment of depression: A multi-center, randomized controlled trial. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 85, 101950. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2022.101950

 

  • Korpela, K., Korhonen, M., Nummi, T., Martos, T., & Sallay, V. (2020). Environmental self-regulation in favourite places of Finnish and Hungarian adults. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 67, 101384. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2019.101384

 

  • Nukarinen, T., Rantala, J., Korpela, K., Browning, M., Istance, H. O., Surakka, V., & Raisamo, R. (2022). Measures and modalities in restorative virtual natural environments: An integrative narrative review. Computers in Human Behavior.

 

  • Paakkolanvaara, J.-V., Hyvönen, K., Salonen, K., Muotka, J., & Korpela, K. (2023). Profiles of depression and restoration in nature-based group therapy. Ecopsychology, 15(3), 231–243. https://doi.org/10.1089/eco.2022.0092

 

  • Pasanen, T. P., Neuvonen, M., & Korpela, K. M. (2018). The psychology of recent nature visits: (How) are motives and attentional focus related to post-visit restorative experiences, creativity, and emotional well-being? Environment and Behavior, 50(8), 913–944. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916517720261

 

  • Salonen, K., Hyvönen, K., Paakkolanvaara, J.-V., & Korpela, K. (2022). Flow with nature treatment for depression: Participants’ experiences. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 768372. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.768372

 

72:50 The most important take-home messages.