Impact of the auditory environment on cognitive performance and behaviour in schools/workplaces: methodological review 2023-2026

Our auditory environment can impact our cognitive performance and behaviour. In academic research, a multitude of measures can be used to assess performance and behaviour, and a diversity of sounds can be generated, recorded, and manipulated. This paper addresses the question: What methods were used in the research published between 2023-2026 that examine the impact of the auditory environment on performance and behaviour? It uniquely covers both school environments (with participants under 18) and workplaces (with adults). Following the scoping review PRISMA protocol, four databases were searched (MEDLINE Complete, PsychInfo, Scopus, Web of Science). Selected articles had to: (1) be peer-reviewed journal articles published in English; (2) include at least one objective measurement of sound; (3) present at least one experimental comparison which varied the characteristics of the stimulus; (4) report at least one quantitative or qualitative measure of cognitive performance/process. Articles that only reported neurophysiological measures, focused on cochlear implants, or measured speech intelligibility/listening comprehension were excluded. 105 papers met inclusion criteria: 18 about schools, 87 about workplaces. Participants, sound conditions, performance measures, study design were charted and summarised. Studies investigating the impact of chronic (long-term) exposure to sounds had larger sample sizes compared to studies on acute (short-term) exposure. There is a balanced use of environmental and speech sounds in school and workplace studies, with artificial sounds being more frequently used in workplace studies. Recommendations for future studies are to embrace neurodiversity instead of excluding participants with neurodevelopmental conditions, and to consistently compare objective and subjective performance measures.