Binaural beat auditory stimulation has been proposed as a non-invasive method for modulating cognitive processes. This experimental study investigates whether binaural beat frequency exposure influences reaction time in adolescents aged 15–16. Reaction time is closely associated with attention, sensory processing, and sensory-to-motor coordination, all of which undergo significant development during adolescence due to synaptic pruning and increased myelination, which may enhance neural responsiveness to auditory stimulation. Previous electroencephalography (EEG) studies suggest that binaural beats can influence neural oscillations associated with attention and cognitive performance. Ten adolescents aged 15–16 (n = 10) were exposed to binaural beats at theta (6 Hz), beta (15 Hz), and gamma (40 Hz) frequencies, alongside a silent control condition to establish a baseline. Results showed an overall negative relationship between binaural beat frequency and reaction time, with higher frequencies associated with faster sensory-motor responses. Mean reaction time decreased from 283.63 ms in the theta condition to 250.92 ms in the gamma condition, with the control condition (no external auditory stimulus) showing a mean of 264.00 ms. Individual variability increased at higher frequencies, which may reflect differences in neural sensitivity.  Correlation analysis indicated a strong negative relationship between frequency and reaction time (r ≈ −0.91). However, this correlation should be interpreted with caution, as it is based on a limited number of discrete frequency conditions rather than continuous data. Overall, these findings suggest that auditory frequency exposure may influence cognitive performance in adolescents and highlight the potential of low-cost auditory stimulation methods for improving attention and sensory-motor responsiveness in educational and training environments. However, further research with larger sample sizes is required to confirm this relationship.

Keywords

Binaural beats, auditory stimulation, neural oscillations, reaction time, cognitive performance.