Binaural Beats and Entrainment: a Study on the Effect of Beta Frequency Binaural Beats on Focus In the Classroom
School Name
Chapin High School
Grade Level
12th Grade
Presentation Topic
Psychology
Presentation Type
Non-Mentored
Written Paper Award
2nd Place
Abstract
Binaural beats are an auditory illusion perceived when two pure tone sine-waves of nearly identical frequency are presented to a listener dichotically (meaning one frequency in each ear) using some kind of stereo speaker or headphones. For example, if a person wearing headphones were to play a 440 hertz frequency and 448 hertz frequency at the same time they would hear an 8 hertz pulsing sound as a result of the clashing frequencies. While binaural beats can be unnerving and even headache-inducing on their own, many companies market music containing binaural beats, claiming it has a myriad of therapeutic properties. Much research has been done regarding the validity of these claims, but very little pertains to the potential application of binaural beats in a classroom setting where they could be used as a tool to promote a heightened sense of awareness. I hypothesize that exposure to music containing beta frequency binaural beats (14-30 hertz) in a classroom setting will lead to a heightened individual perception of focus and other positive effects due to a process called brainwave entrainment, in which one's brain waves gradually synchronize to an external pulse (such as binaural beats) over time, possibly influencing state of mind. I used a PANAS survey to measure student's perception of positive and negative effects of binaural beats on their performance on a timed writing assignment. A multiple linear regression analysis of the data demonstrated little evidence supporting a correlation between perception of binaural beats effect and grade on the assignment.
Recommended Citation
Duncan, Cameron, "Binaural Beats and Entrainment: a Study on the Effect of Beta Frequency Binaural Beats on Focus In the Classroom" (2020). South Carolina Junior Academy of Science. 35.
https://scholarexchange.furman.edu/scjas/2020/all/35
Location
Furman Hall 208
Start Date
3-28-2020 11:00 AM
Presentation Format
Oral and Written
Group Project
No
Binaural Beats and Entrainment: a Study on the Effect of Beta Frequency Binaural Beats on Focus In the Classroom
Furman Hall 208
Binaural beats are an auditory illusion perceived when two pure tone sine-waves of nearly identical frequency are presented to a listener dichotically (meaning one frequency in each ear) using some kind of stereo speaker or headphones. For example, if a person wearing headphones were to play a 440 hertz frequency and 448 hertz frequency at the same time they would hear an 8 hertz pulsing sound as a result of the clashing frequencies. While binaural beats can be unnerving and even headache-inducing on their own, many companies market music containing binaural beats, claiming it has a myriad of therapeutic properties. Much research has been done regarding the validity of these claims, but very little pertains to the potential application of binaural beats in a classroom setting where they could be used as a tool to promote a heightened sense of awareness. I hypothesize that exposure to music containing beta frequency binaural beats (14-30 hertz) in a classroom setting will lead to a heightened individual perception of focus and other positive effects due to a process called brainwave entrainment, in which one's brain waves gradually synchronize to an external pulse (such as binaural beats) over time, possibly influencing state of mind. I used a PANAS survey to measure student's perception of positive and negative effects of binaural beats on their performance on a timed writing assignment. A multiple linear regression analysis of the data demonstrated little evidence supporting a correlation between perception of binaural beats effect and grade on the assignment.
