Effect of noise on intellectual performance

Abstract

Studied the effect of realistic noise levels on an intellectually challenging task. 33 undergraduates performed proofreading in quiet or with a background of intermittent teletype noise (70 db). As predicted, noise Ss did not differ significantly from quiet Ss in detecting spelling errors but were poorer at identifying grammatical errors. Contrary to expectations, recall of the content of the proofreading passages was unaffected. Detailed analysis revealed that Ss initially worked more slowly and less steadily during noise bursts than during intervening quiet periods, but more accurately. Results are interpreted in terms of the feedback available to the Ss and the strategies they adopted to cope with the distraction. (15 ref) (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)