Datasets and Resources for Misophonia Researchers
Research on misophonia benefits from accessible sound stimuli, participant datasets, assessment instruments, and clear documentation. This directory brings together resources for researchers studying misophonia, sound intolerance, and related sensory experiences.
Some resources were developed specifically for misophonia research. Others are broader tools that may support comparison studies or investigations of sensory processing. Each resource should be assessed against the research question, study population, and intended use.
Links reviewed October 2026. Access conditions and available versions may change.
Sound Stimuli and Datasets
Free Open-Access Misophonia Stimuli (FOAMS)
FOAMS is a publicly available sound bank developed to support experimental misophonia research. Its accompanying publication describes how recordings were collected, categorized, and processed. Separate repository records provide processed audio, original recordings, and pilot data.
The processed collection includes documentation and segmentation information. Researchers can use these materials to develop sound-presentation experiments or investigate acoustic and spectrotemporal properties.
Pilot discomfort ratings are available for a subset of 32 sounds. These ratings should not be interpreted as comprehensive norms for the entire collection or as evidence that every recording triggers every person with misophonia.
Access:
Consult the documentation, citation instructions, and applicable licensing information before using or redistributing recordings.
International Affective Digitized Sounds: Misophonia Study Data
An open dataset accompanies the study Using a standardized sound set to help characterize misophonia: The International Affective Digitized Sounds.
The study collected questionnaire responses and ratings of standardized sounds from 377 adults, including 132 participants classified as having misophonia and 245 controls. Sound ratings addressed arousal, valence, similarity to personally relevant aversive sounds, and avoidance.
The repository provides Excel and SPSS data files, a README, and information about the analysis. The publication also presents an IADS-M ranking of sounds that differentiated the study groups.
This is a participant-response dataset. Access to these data should not be assumed to include permission to obtain or redistribute the underlying IADS audio recordings.
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ESC-50 and ESC-10 Environmental Sound Collections
ESC-50 contains 2,000 five-second environmental recordings organized into 50 categories. Categories include animal sounds, natural environments, human non-speech sounds, domestic sounds, and urban noises. ESC-10 is a smaller subset identified within the collection.
These recordings may support environmental-sound comparison studies, acoustic analysis, and sound-classification projects. However, ESC was developed for environmental sound classification rather than misophonia research. Its category labels do not establish whether a recording is a trigger, neutral sound, or masking sound for a particular listener.
Access: Official ESC repository, documentation, and licensing information
Researchers selecting comparison sounds should establish their suitability for the study population rather than assume that environmental recordings are neutral.
Open Data Accompanying MisoQuest Research
The publication Assessing Misophonia in Young Adults: The Prevalence and Psychometric Validation of the MisoQuest Questionnaire provides supplementary materials identified as raw research data and a MisoQuest questionnaire.
These materials may support secondary analysis or examination of questionnaire performance. Researchers should read the study methods and supplementary documentation before interpreting variables or applying findings to other populations.
Access: Publication and supplementary materials
Misophonia Assessment Instruments
Assessment instruments differ in their purpose, structure, and validation samples. Researchers should specify the instrument version, language, scoring method, and criteria used to define their study groups.
Duke Misophonia Questionnaire (DMQ)
The DMQ is a self-report measure covering triggers, emotional and physiological responses, cognitive responses, coping, impairment, and beliefs. Duke provides a downloadable questionnaire, introductory materials, and scoring guidance.
It can support research examining symptom severity, functional impairment, and different aspects of the misophonia experience. Researchers should identify the particular scales or composite scores used rather than refer to an unspecified “DMQ score.”
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Duke Misophonia Interview (DMI)
The DMI is a semi-structured interview developed for research and clinical settings. It explores an individual’s experience of misophonia over the previous month and across their life more broadly.
Duke provides a downloadable interview and introductory instructions. As an interviewer-administered resource, it requires preparation beyond distributing a self-report questionnaire.
Access: Official interview and instructions
Duke–Vanderbilt Misophonia Screening Questionnaire (DVMSQ)
The DVMSQ is a brief self-report measure developed to assess misophonia symptoms and functional impairment. Its validation paper explains its development, scoring, and approach to identifying probable misophonia cases.
Researchers considering it for screening or group assignment should consult the publication and supplementary materials. Screening classifications should be reported with the criteria used to produce them.
Access: Validation publication and supplementary materials
Selective Sound Sensitivity Syndrome Scale (S-Five)
The S-Five is a multidimensional self-report measure of misophonia. Its five dimensions address internalizing appraisals, externalizing appraisals, perceived threat, outbursts, and impact.
Researchers should consult the relevant validation publication for their intended language and population. The King’s College London project page provides background information and a research-team contact for questions about materials and use.
Access:
- Official S-Five project page
- Development and validation publication
- UK prevalence and norms publication
MisoQuest
MisoQuest is a self-report questionnaire developed to assess misophonia. Its original development study and subsequent validation research provide information about its psychometric properties.
Researchers should use the version supported by the relevant language-specific evidence and verify scoring instructions before applying a threshold or comparing results across studies.
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Broader Sensory Assessment Resources
Adult/Adolescent Sensory History (ASH)
The ASH is a broader sensory-processing assessment rather than a misophonia-specific measure. It may be relevant to research examining sensory experiences alongside misophonia.
The SPIRAL Foundation provides information about questionnaires, supplementary forms, manuals, and scoring materials. Its scoring program supports entry of responses through a fillable PDF or Excel spreadsheet.
Access status: Commercial assessment materials. The ASH should not be described as an open-access questionnaire or freely redistributable dataset. Researchers should obtain the appropriate materials and confirm any research-use permissions with the provider.
Access: Official ASH information and materials
Research Planning and Recruitment Resources
Consensus Definition of Misophonia
The consensus definition developed through a Delphi process provides a shared starting point for describing misophonia in research. It is useful when preparing study rationales and explaining the condition, but should be distinguished from a diagnostic interview or a complete set of study inclusion criteria.
Access: Consensus Definition of Misophonia: A Delphi Study
soQuiet Research Participant Pool
soQuiet provides a participant registry supporting misophonia research recruitment. Researchers can consult its research pages for information about accessing recruitment support and applicable requirements.
Access: soQuiet research resources
Misophonia Research Fund
The Misophonia Research Fund provides funding information, research priorities, and a directory of funded projects. These resources can help researchers identify potential funding mechanisms, related projects, and possible collaborators.
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Using These Resources in a Study
Before selecting a dataset or instrument, establish what it can answer. A sound bank supplies stimuli; a participant dataset supplies observations from a particular sample; a questionnaire measures specified aspects of experience. These resources are not interchangeable.
Document the version used, cite the original developers, and retain the relevant instructions and data dictionary. Check access terms before modifying or redistributing materials. When presenting sounds to participants, explain the nature of the recordings and provide appropriate options to pause or stop participation.
A recording’s category alone does not establish its effect on a listener. Studies comparing triggers, neutral sounds, masking sounds, or ASMR-associated sounds should explain how those classifications were established.