How do we focus on one sound source while ignoring distractions in a noisy environment? This thesis investigates auditory selective attention in a virtual reality classroom, using immersive technology to study listening behavior in settings that resemble everyday life more closely than traditional approaches.

An established audio-only attention task was transferred into a VR classroom scenario, where participants responded to sounds coming from different spatial positions. Initial results showed more accurate responses in VR, suggesting that immersive environments may increase engagement and motivation.

Further studies examined how visual context, realistic classroom noise, and room acoustics influence auditory attention. While audio-visual congruence showed no consistent benefits, complex background noise and intelligible speech clearly reduced performance and increased listening effort. Simulated reverberation also affected performance.

Together, the findings show that realistic listening behavior cannot be fully captured with traditional unisensory paradigms alone. Instead, more plausible approaches are needed to understand how auditory attention operates in real classrooms, workplaces, and other everyday environments.

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