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FrancoAngeli Journals

Scientific papers

Vol. 50 No. 1 (2026)

Impact of Environmental Stressors on Cognition and Sound-scape Perception: An Analysis of Age-Related Differences

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3280/ria2026oa22073
Submitted
febbraio 25, 2026
Published
2026-06-29

Abstract

Students spend approximately 45% of their day in the classroom. Consequently, it is imperative that the environment supports both learning and comfort through the control of the four key environmental domains: thermal environment, indoor air quality, acoustics, and lighting. Although recent literature has begun to investigate these domains jointly, the interaction between indoor air quality and acoustics remains under-explored, with a significant paucity of studies focusing on school-age children. ​This study compares the results obtained from two distinct age groups: university students and lower secondary school pupils. The aim is to investigate whether and how student age mediates the effects of acoustic stimuli and indoor air quality on students’ performance and sound perception. ​The results indicate that age influences the impact of acoustic conditions on calculation performance; however, it does not affect soundscape assessment, nor does it demonstrate any significant interaction with indoor air quality.

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