Effects of Soundscape on Flow State during Diabolo Exercise

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Environmental Psychology
• Gerontology

Background:

• Soundscape, the acoustic environment, influences human perception and well-being.
• Sports environments offer complex soundscapes affecting participants and spectators.
• Diabolo, a popular sport among older Chinese adults, possesses rich soundscape qualities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of diabolo soundscape on the mental health of older players.
• To propose and validate a two-channel (direct and indirect) model of soundscape influence.
• To utilize the flow state as a measure of mental health in this context.

Main Methods:

• A control experiment comparing diabolo play with and without sound.
• Utilizing the Short Flow State Scale (SFSS) to measure participants' flow state.
• Analysis of the two-channel influence model to explain differences in flow state scores.

Main Results:

• Diabolo exercise in a sound state yielded significantly higher flow state scores than in a silent state (p < 0.05 and p < 0.001).
• Key differences were observed in unambiguous feedback, sense of control, and autotelic experience dimensions.
• The two-channel influence model effectively explained variations in older adults' flow state.

Conclusions:

• The soundscape of diabolo significantly enhances the flow state and mental health of older players.
• The proposed two-channel model provides a comprehensive framework for understanding soundscape effects in sports.
• Findings offer insights for designing sports venue soundscapes to promote psychological well-being.