The impact of using noise-canceling earphones on the perception of auditory warning sounds: An electroencephalography study duringa simple addition task

The increasing use of noise-canceling earphones/headphones has been associated with a growing number of incidents and accidents while listening to music with them. One reason for this may be that auditory warning sounds are blocked by active noise cancellation. This study examines whether the acoustic characteristics of auditory warning sounds influence their recognizability. Younger adults performed a simple auditory addition task while listening to two types of auditory warning sounds (a car horn and a railroad crossing alarm) under three listening conditions: (1) without noise-canceling earphones, (2) with noise-canceling earphones but without an active noise cancellation system, and (3) with noise-canceling earphones. Electroencephalography was used to record event-related potentials, revealing subtle auditory processing that may not be reflected solely in behavioral indicators, such as the simple auditory addition task. The findings aim to design more perceptible auditory warning signals that are compatible with everyday listening environments, particularly under noise-canceling earphones/headphones.