Intensive urbanization exposes city residents to stressors such as noise pollution and visual clutter, while natural environments are thought to have a restorative effect. However, the relative contributions of auditory and visual components to emotional well-being remain poorly understood.


Purpose: This study aims to comparatively analyze the impact of auditory and visual characteristics of two types of urban environments—highways and parks—on psychoemotional state and stress levels, taking into account the individual characteristics of the participants.


Methods: In a laboratory experiment (N=20), participants were exposed to six stimuli (road/park environments in the "video only," "sound only," and "video and sound" modalities). Subjective scales (PANAS, valence, arousal) and objective physiological measures (heart rate variability (HRV) and heart rate (HR)) were used to assess well-being. Individual indicators (noise sensitivity, stress, anxiety, and depression according to the DASS-21) were also measured. Data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney tests.


Results: The analysis revealed an asymmetrical influence of modalities. For parks, the visual component was key in generating positive affect, while sound had no significant additional effect. For roads, the auditory component (traffic noise) was a critical stressor, independently reducing positive affect, while the combined effect (video and sound) elicited the worst emotional responses (decreased valence, increased negative affect; p<0.05). The park environment as a whole was rated significantly more positively than the road environment (p<0.05). Physiological indicators (HRV) did not show significant changes, but heart rate was higher in response to road stimuli.


Conclusions: The results confirm that the sound environment is the dominant stressor in urban landscapes, while the visual characteristics of nature are a key component of the restorative effect. These findings highlight the need to prioritize noise pollution reduction and the importance of visual access to green spaces in urban planning for supporting the mental well-being of city residents.