Speaker
Description
This paper presents proof of concept of studying the psychological effects of binaural beat (BB) stimulation with silent disco headphones as means of delivery. It describes a comprehensive dataset and analysis on the effects of BB embedded in music on working memory and self-reported relaxation. The experiment employed a between-subjects design with three conditions (10-Hz BB, 40-Hz BB, and control) and involved 317 participants. Participants were exposed to a 13-minute multimedia art performance in a planetarium theatre using wireless silent disco headphones as means of delivery of the auditory stimulus. Data were collected via smartphone-based Qualtrics surveys, capturing pre-performance demographics, including hormonal fluctuations, sound sensitivity and personality traits, as well as post-performance self-reported relaxation and working memory performance (n-back task). The dataset includes raw and processed data, alongside supporting materials such as survey instruments, experiment code, a codebook, and informed consent documents. This resource enables the exploration of individual differences and their potential influence on BB efficacy. Analysis confirmed the potential of 10-Hz BB for enhancing relaxation, however 40-Hz BB effects on working memory and mediating effects of personality and assigned sex were not observed.