“I could get lit to Madonna:” Soundscapes & the First Year Writer’s Composing Process

Abstract

Abstract The growing body of research on soundscapes has indicated a significant relationship between sound and the ways in which writers compose. Moreover, research surrounding Environment Selecting and – Structure Practices has demonstrated that writers choose environments, tools and other resources to enhance their composing processes. Using screen captures and think aloud protocols, this article examines the effects of soundscapes on first year writers’ composing processes. In a quasi-experimental study, five first year writers completed screen captures with think aloud protocols of shorter, course-based writing tasks in three different soundscapes: silence, ambient noise, and music. Our research illustrates that sound and the absence of it have a clear impact on the writing process, the cognitive processes involved in completing writing tasks, and the overall content of the work.