Markdown lines 1456–1595 · Part 6 of 6
A secondary question of the study was the effect of beta frequency BBS on attention. Could BBS’s be
used to help ADHD populations? Striking research exists with other forms of brain-wave training
(Othmer, Russell, & Carter) facilitating improved performance in ADHD populations. While this study
was not designed to answer the question of how effective beta frequency BBS’s could be with ADHD
subjects, its design was organized to look at one element of ADHD; attention.
In order to gain clarity on the relevance of binaural-beat brain-wave training for use with ADHD
populations, the digit span and digit symbol subtests of the WAIS-R were administered. The two
WAIS-R subtests were included in the study in order to determine if binaural-beat audio signals could
facilitate the ability to attend and persevere at routine motor tasks. Statistically significant results on
the free recall word list test, digit span, and digit symbol tests, provide support for the conclusion that
beta-frequency BBS’s do facilitate improved attention. By inference the BBS form of brain-wave
training should be helpful to ADHD subjects. Based upon the success of biofeedback brain- wave
training, non-empirical BBS research and this study, further research seems warranted in applied
empirical follow-up studies on the facilitation of memory with beta-frequency BBS’s among both
mainstream and ADHD populations.
Recommendations
It would be rewarding to pursue the effect of binaural-beat audio signals into broader applications. Of
particular interest would be the use of binaural-beat audio signals to help ADHD and unimpaired
students function at a higher level in mainstream classes.
Another study seems to be in order to properly address the question of whether or not the BBS’s can
facilitate learning as well as memory. The differentiation being that learning refers to “enduring effects
of prior experience” (Domjan, & Burkhard, 1982, p. 309) and memory may be a short lived effect of
prior experience. An empirical longitudinal investigation of BBS brain-wave training on learning would
clarify the applicability of the BBS brain-wave training technology toward learning in normal and
ADHD populations.
Due to the unexpected lack of significant results with the German vocabulary recognition/recall list, a
longitudinal study with foreign language vocabulary recognition/recall lists would be of interest. Such
a study could determine if this is a task not facilitated by beta frequency BBS brain-wave training, or if
it is facilitated only with repeated brain-wave sessions.
Finally it would be of interest to investigate alpha-theta BBS brain-wave training in the treatment of
alcoholism and drug abuse. If the results of such a study find comparable benefits to the Peniston
protocol, then the social and educational impact would be wide ranging. Access to an effective
intervention may be opened up to the alcoholic or addict student. A student may be able to simply go
to the school counselor’s office to receive effective, lasting treatment for an acute social and
educational impairment.
Conclusions
Having found binaural-beat audio signals to be an effective method of facilitating memory on three of
the four dependent variables in this study, it may be inferred that they are a viable form of brain-wave
training and could provide a portable inexpensive method of assisting students and other individuals
in memory tasks. This suggests that the observed results with binaural-beat signals in previous
research were the result of the binaural-beat signals and not the result of placebo effects or a
confounding variable.
Binaural-beat audio signal brain-wave training could provide a cost effective non- drug alternative to
those individuals and educational systems seeking to augment standard techniques. Not only special
populations, but mainstream education could benefit from making widely available a form of brain-
wave training which makes the learning environment more enjoyable and productive.
It is hoped that this research demonstrated binaural-beat audio signal brain-wave training as a viable
alternative to other more expensive and cumbersome methods of brain-wave training. Furthermore, it
is hoped that this project will have layed part of the groundwork for more conclusive applied studies
with binaural-beat brain-wave training in a variety of student populations and educational
environments. Continuing applied research in brain-wave training holds promise to have a profound
positive impact on the learning disabled, special education classes and the educational system in
general.
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The following materials were consulted for sample, content, and form.
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