Reducing discomfort by integrating unpleasant environmental sounds with cognitive sound control

We respond to unpleasant sounds in our daily lives by blocking out sound environments that we find unpleasant. This may be because of our helplessness in interfering with these sounds. However, blocking limits the range of sound selection. To reduce discomfort from unpleasant sound, rather than blocking the sound environment, this study aimed to make unpleasant sounds less bothersome by integrating them into music. To achieve this, we expect that participants will intervene in the sound environment where there is unpleasant sound, recognize that the environment is controllable, and reduce the unpleasantness of the sound. If participants can consider unpleasant sounds as part of the environment they can control, they can create an environment in which unpleasant sounds do not bother them. In this study, melody generated based on the rhythm of the unpleasant sound was played, and experiments were conducted to cognitively mask the unpleasant sound based on the perception that it can interfere with the environment as the melody can be adjusted. Results showed that manipulating the environment altered the perception of unpleasant sounds and improved task performance by reducing their unpleasantness. Improved performance may be due to task-specific self-efficacy.