The Effects of Auditory Color Noise and Environmental Color on Visual Search Performance

Publication Date

2026

Presentation Length

15 minutes

College

College of Sciences & Mathematics

Department

Psychological Science, Department of

Student Level

Undergraduate

Faculty Mentor

Dr. Michael Oliver

Presentation Type

Talk/Oral

Summary

Visual attention and performance on visual tasks can be heavily influenced by environmental factors such as background noise and visuality of the environment. Understanding how auditory and visual stimuli affect focus and accuracy is important to help identify environmental conditions that improve an individual's focus while doing certain daily tasks. While prior research has examined common color sounds such as white and brown noise, other sound frequencies like green and violet noise have remained largely unexplored. Additionally, limited research has examined how auditory noise and visual color stimuli influence accuracy in visual search performance in relation to one another. The purpose of our project is to research the effects of auditory color noise and environmental color on visual search performance.    Participants will be recruited through a convenience sample from the Department of Psychological Sciences and Department of Neuroscience SONA pool, as well as through word of mouth. Participants will be randomly assigned to a group where they will be exposed to either green or violet noise and a blue or red background through a VR device. Self-reported measures will include the Perceived Stress Scale and General Anxiety Disorder 7 and physiological responses will be measured using a heart rate monitor and skin conductance. It is hypothesized that participants exposed to green noise and blue screen will have a higher accuracy in visual search performance compared to those exposed to violet noise and a red screen. Findings from this study may contribute to a better understanding of how auditory and visual environmental factors influence attention and accuracy in visual tasks. Future research could further explore how different color noises and color hues impact visual search performance in regards to accuracy and focus.

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