The 3D Sound Power of Immersion Processing and Psychophysiological Effects of Binaural versus Stereo Audio Stories

ABSTRACTMany people are listening to fiction stories in podcasts and audiobooks. Some techniques, such as 3D or binaural sound, might improve the listeners’ sensory experience in this kind of format. However, few audio productions are produced with binaural sound, and research about their effects on cognitive processing is scarce. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the impact of binaural sound in audio stories compared to their stereo versions on the listeners’ cognitive processing and physiological responses. Fifty participants listened to two stories produced in two versions: binaural and stereo, and they assessed enjoyment, engagement, and imagery while their physiological responses were measured (heart rate and electrodermal activity). Also, they performed a recognition test. The results showed that the binaural version achieved higher narrative engagement, enjoyment, imagery, and information recognition than the stereo stories. The psychophysiological responses indicated the highest attention and arousal in binaural stories. Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Notes1. In this study, we focus on binaural audio reproduction, which aims to create an immersive auditory sensation by recreating spatial orientation with sound (Geronazzo et al., Citation2019). In contrast, according to Lane et al. (Citation1998), binaural beats refer to two tones of different frequencies presented simultaneously, one to each ear, so that the listener perceives a single tone that varies in amplitude. It has been suggested that binaural beats might affect psychomotor performance and mood (Lane et al., Citation1998).2. It is important to note that several studies have used the concepts of binaural and 3D audio interchangeably (e.g., Paterson & Lee, Citation2022). In this study, we analyze the effect of binaural audio, which we previously defined as a form of audio reproduction that aims to create an immersive auditory sensation by recreating spatial orientation with sound (Geronazzo et al., Citation2019). However, 3D audio has also been defined as “realistic sound that simulates the real listening experience” (Shin et al., Citation2019, p. 81). Other authors have distinguished between these two terms by saying that binaural audio is the simplest form of 3D audio (Boren, Citation2018). Due to the need for more agreement on the terminology and the scarcity of previous research on this topic, we review studies using binaural audio or 3D audio.3. Some authors have used narrative engagement and narrative transportation as similar or related concepts (e.g., Gebbers et al., Citation2017; Green, Citation2021; Tchernev et al., Citation2023) or interchangeably (e.g., Cohen et al., Citation2023; Samur et al., Citation2021). Other authors consider narrative transportation and narrative engagement as two different dimensions of narrative involvement (e.g., Quintero Johnson & Sangalang, Citation2017). Following Busselle and Bilandzic (Citation2009), in this study, we adopt the term “narrative engagement,” and we consider it a similar concept to narrative persuasion.Additional informationFundingThis work was supported by Leonardo BBVA [IN[18]_COM_COM_0041]. The second author has a Ramón y Cajal Grant (RYC2021-033612-I) funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and the European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR.