The Behavioral Effects of Binaural Beats on Sustained Attention
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Lassiter, Leah
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Abstract
Binaural beats (BBs) are auditory stimuli theorized to enhance attention by entraining neural oscillations in frequency bands associated with attentional control and mind-wandering. The present study evaluated whether beta-frequency BBs improve sustained attention relative to white noise (WN) using the Gradual Onset Continuous Performance Task (GradCPT). Thirty-three undergraduate participants completed four task runs while exposed to either BB or WN auditory stimulation. Behavioral measures included reaction time (RT), RT variability, omission and commission error rates, and “in-the-zone” cutoff values derived from variability metrics. Task validation replicated prior work, showing lower error rates and reduced RT variability during periods classified as “in the zone” compared to “out of the zone.” Comparisons between auditory conditions revealed modest reductions in median RT, RT variability, and zone cutoff thresholds in the BB condition; however, none of these differences reached statistical significance. These patterns suggest small directional trends consistent with theories linking beta-range auditory entrainment to attentional stability. Limitations include a relatively small sample and reliance on behavioral measures alone. Future work incorporating electroencephalography (EEG) may clarify whether neural effects accompany these behavioral trends. Overall, findings provide preliminary support for the possibility that BBs modestly influence sustained attention, while highlighting the need for further investigation.
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2025-12
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Undergraduate Thesis