Date of Award
5-2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts (BA)
Department
Social Sciences
First Advisor
Cook, Peter
Area of Concentration
Biopsychology, Neuroscience
Abstract
Stochastic auditory stimuli, characterized by the random distribution of their power spectral density, have been implicated in modulating relaxation and sleep. This study investigated the differential effects of pink, brown, and white noise on frontal lobe electroencephalography (EEG) activity in 22 healthy adult participants. Brainwave activity, specifically alpha, theta, and beta frequencies, was recorded while participants were exposed to each noise type in a counterbalanced, palindromic design. While alpha wave activity showed no significant differences across conditions, ANOVA revealed significant effects of noise type on both theta (F(2,21) = 24.055, p < 0.05) and beta (F(2,21) = 13.146, p < 0.05) wave power. Post-hoc t-tests indicated that brown noise elicited the highest theta wave activity and the lowest beta wave activity, suggesting a greater induction of deep relaxation and reduced alertness compared to pink and white noise. Pink noise demonstrated intermediate levels of theta and beta activity, indicating a moderate relaxation effect. Conversely, white noise resulted in the lowest theta wave activity and the highest beta wave activity, suggesting a less relaxed and more alert state. These findings challenge the conventional emphasis on white noise for relaxation and highlight the potential of brown noise as a more effective auditory stimulus for promoting deep relaxation. Future research should explore the mechanisms underlying these differential effects and investigate the potential therapeutic applications of brown noise.
Recommended Citation
Voccia, Quentin, "STOCHASTIC AUDITORY NOISE AND RELAXATION" (2026). Theses & ETDs. 6967.
https://digitalcommons.ncf.edu/theses_etds/6967
Rights
The author has granted New College of Florida the nonexclusive right to archive, make accessible, and distribute for educational purposes this work in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. The copyright of this work remains with the author.