The Effect of Loud Noise on Attentional Selectivity,

Prolonged loud noise sometimes impairs performance and sometimes improves performance. It is suggested that an important effect of noise is to increase the level of arousal. This makes people concentrate on the central aspects of their task, and neglect the more peripheral aspects. Tasks in which only the central aspects are important may therefore improve in noise. While tasks in which the more peripheral aspects are also important may be impaired in noise. The results of a study suggest that noise makes a man more selective in his work. He concentrates better on his main task, at the expense of what he considers to be the less important aspects of the work. Author