The effects of different sound environments on physiological stress recovery and perceived Restorativeness

In a threatening situation, various physiological and psychological processes are activated. In particular, the activation of the sympathetic nervous system has been found to be related with the increase in heart rate, electrodermal activity, and negative emotions. According to Ulrich's theory, stress recovery involves physiological and psychological components, while the recharging of anabolic energy involved in the psychophysiological response to a stress factor falls under the broader concept of Restorativeness. Indoor, outdoor, natural, and built environments can affect differently stress recovery and perceived Restorativeness. Through a test conducted within the Catholic University of San Antonio campus in Murcia (UCAM), this still ongoing study investigates the changes of some physiological variables and subjective assessment in different multisensory environmental conditions (i.e., acoustic, temperature, relative humidity) and presents some preliminary results