A 3 year update on the influence of noise on performance and behavior

The effect of noise exposure on human performance and behavior continues to be a focus for research activities. This paper reviews developments in the field over the past 3 years, highlighting current areas of research, recent findings, and ongoing research in two main research areas: Field studies...

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Main Authors: Charlotte Clark, Patrik Sörqvist
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2012-01-01
Series:Noise and Health
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.noiseandhealth.org/article.asp?issn=1463-1741;year=2012;volume=14;issue=61;spage=292;epage=296;aulast=Clark
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author Charlotte Clark
Patrik Sörqvist
author_facet Charlotte Clark
Patrik Sörqvist
author_sort Charlotte Clark
collection DOAJ
description The effect of noise exposure on human performance and behavior continues to be a focus for research activities. This paper reviews developments in the field over the past 3 years, highlighting current areas of research, recent findings, and ongoing research in two main research areas: Field studies of noise effects on children′s cognition and experimental studies of auditory distraction. Overall, the evidence for the effects of external environmental noise on children′s cognition has strengthened in recent years, with the use of larger community samples and better noise characterization. Studies have begun to establish exposure-effect thresholds for noise effects on cognition. However, the evidence remains predominantly cross-sectional and future research needs to examine whether sound insulation might lessen the effects of external noise on children′s learning. Research has also begun to explore the link between internal classroom acoustics and children′s learning, aiming to further inform the design of the internal acoustic environment. Experimental studies of the effects of noise on cognitive performance are also reviewed, including functional differences in varieties of auditory distraction, semantic auditory distraction, individual differences in susceptibility to auditory distraction, and the role of cognitive control on the effects of noise on understanding and memory of target speech materials. In general, the results indicate that there are at least two functionally different types of auditory distraction: One due to the interruption of processes (as a result of attention being captured by the sound), another due to interference between processes. The magnitude of the former type is related to individual differences in cognitive control capacities (e.g., working memory capacity); the magnitude of the latter is not. Few studies address noise effects on behavioral outcomes, emphasizing the need for researchers to explore noise effects on behavior in more detail.
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spelling doaj.art-cbb460f15fdb48b8aa3b64ba31b0710e2022-12-21T18:44:38ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsNoise and Health1463-17411998-40302012-01-01146129229610.4103/1463-1741.104896A 3 year update on the influence of noise on performance and behaviorCharlotte ClarkPatrik SörqvistThe effect of noise exposure on human performance and behavior continues to be a focus for research activities. This paper reviews developments in the field over the past 3 years, highlighting current areas of research, recent findings, and ongoing research in two main research areas: Field studies of noise effects on children′s cognition and experimental studies of auditory distraction. Overall, the evidence for the effects of external environmental noise on children′s cognition has strengthened in recent years, with the use of larger community samples and better noise characterization. Studies have begun to establish exposure-effect thresholds for noise effects on cognition. However, the evidence remains predominantly cross-sectional and future research needs to examine whether sound insulation might lessen the effects of external noise on children′s learning. Research has also begun to explore the link between internal classroom acoustics and children′s learning, aiming to further inform the design of the internal acoustic environment. Experimental studies of the effects of noise on cognitive performance are also reviewed, including functional differences in varieties of auditory distraction, semantic auditory distraction, individual differences in susceptibility to auditory distraction, and the role of cognitive control on the effects of noise on understanding and memory of target speech materials. In general, the results indicate that there are at least two functionally different types of auditory distraction: One due to the interruption of processes (as a result of attention being captured by the sound), another due to interference between processes. The magnitude of the former type is related to individual differences in cognitive control capacities (e.g., working memory capacity); the magnitude of the latter is not. Few studies address noise effects on behavioral outcomes, emphasizing the need for researchers to explore noise effects on behavior in more detail.http://www.noiseandhealth.org/article.asp?issn=1463-1741;year=2012;volume=14;issue=61;spage=292;epage=296;aulast=ClarkAuditory distractioncognitionepidemiologynoisetransportation
spellingShingle Charlotte Clark
Patrik Sörqvist
A 3 year update on the influence of noise on performance and behavior
Noise and Health
Auditory distraction
cognition
epidemiology
noise
transportation
title A 3 year update on the influence of noise on performance and behavior
title_full A 3 year update on the influence of noise on performance and behavior
title_fullStr A 3 year update on the influence of noise on performance and behavior
title_full_unstemmed A 3 year update on the influence of noise on performance and behavior
title_short A 3 year update on the influence of noise on performance and behavior
title_sort 3 year update on the influence of noise on performance and behavior
topic Auditory distraction
cognition
epidemiology
noise
transportation
url http://www.noiseandhealth.org/article.asp?issn=1463-1741;year=2012;volume=14;issue=61;spage=292;epage=296;aulast=Clark
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