Effect of Noise on an “Intellectual” Task

Abstract

Three groups of Naval Ratings worked for 2 sessions each at a subtraction task involving a considerable immediate memory load. One group had both sessions in relative quiet (70 decibels); a 2d had.the 1st session in 100 decibel noise and the 2d in quiet; and the 3d group had noise and quiet In the reverse order. In the 1st session the noise group slowed down at solving the subtractions as time went on, relative to the groups working in quiet. A similar difference appeared in the 2d session, but, in addition, there was an aftereffect of noise such that the subjects who had had noise previously slowed down relative to those who had not. Slowing down of performance with time was in all groups most marked in extroverts. These results suggest that intellectual work as well as simple sensory tasks must be regarded as endangered by noise; there may be harmful aftereffects from noise, but it is not clear whether these will appear in any situation or only in one similar to that in which the noise was experienced.