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Mental performance in noise: The role of introversion
Abstract
A mental arithmetic task was applied on 123 medical students (43 males and 80 females) under quiet (42 dB/A/Leq) and noisy laboratory conditions (recorded traffic noise, 88 dB/A/Leq). Personality trait of intro-extroversion was estimated with the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. Two groups of subjects were formed concerning intro-extroversion, using a testing mean score as a dividing criterion: 46 introverts (<mean score) and 77 extroverts (>mean score). Concentration problems, fatigue and noise annoyance during the experiments were measured with numeric ten-point self-rating scales. There was no significant effect of noise on the accuracy of mental processing, compared to the quiet condition. Extroverted subjects performed significantly faster in noise, compared to the quiet condition (p<0·05). Concentration problems and fatigue were more pronounced in noise, compared to quiet conditions, but that was only among introverted subjects (p<0·05). Correlation analysis revealed a highly significant negative relation of extroversion and noise annoyance during mental processing (p<0·01).
... Furnham and Strbac conducted experimental studies and found that introverts and extroverts did not differ in their performance (2002) hile performing jobs under normal environmental conditions. Whereas (Belojevic et al., 2007) showed that in noisy or distracting environments such as social media, cognitive performance of introverts was negatively affected while Kou et al. (2017) found that while using social networking sites in such an environment, the cognitive performance of extroverts was unaffected. Extroverts have the ability to blend in because of their socialized nature, while introverts are shy towards socialization and openness . ...
... Banbury et al. (2001) examined the decline in cognitive performance in the presence of task-irrelevant stimuli such as when colleagues engaged in background discussions. Belojevic et al. (2007) showed that in noisy or distractible environments, such as using social media, the cognitive performance of individuals affected negative matter, while Kou et al. (2017) explained that while using social networking sites in the office/work environment, individuals' cognitive performance remained unaffecte (Choi & Lim, 2016) This study is also significant for the present situation in which employees use the Internet excessively; frequently engaging in social networking sites and the effect of distraction while performing tasks (complex/simple) have drawn considerable attention from researchers in office settings. Fig. 1 presents a graphical representation of the hypothesized model. ...
... conducted experimental studies with introverts and extroverts performing their jobs under normal environmental conditions, and found there was no difference in their performance. Belojevic et al. (2007) showed that in noisy or distractable environments such as social media, the cognitive performance of introverts was negatively affected, while Kou et al. (2017) explained that while using SNSs in an arousing environment, cognitive performance remained unaffected (Choi & Lim, 2016) Extroverts have the ability to blend in because of their socialized nature, while introverts are shy about socialization and opennes Fig. 1 presents a graphical representation of the hypothesized model. Based on the above, we hypothesize the following: H3: Personality type (introverted) significantly positively moderates the relationship between excessive use of SNSs and task distraction. ...
Excessive usage of social networking sites (SNSs) has permeated individuals' daily lives, leading to negative outcomes such as reduced cognitive performance and physical problems. Regardless of the threat, few researchers have examined the negative consequences of social networking sites on employee performance. This study uses cognitive theory and Eysenck's theory of personality as the foundation of the proposed model to explore whether excessive social networking site usage deteriorates workers' cognitive performance. We propose that excessive use of social networking sites negatively impacts employees' cognitive performance, that extroverted individuals are the most distracted by social networking sites compared to introverts, and that ambiverts are the least distracted by them in the workplace. A sample of 266 Chinese and Pakistani users of social networking sites from the software house service sector was tested empirically to validate the proposed model. This study contributes to mitigating the negative impact of excessive SNS usage by implementing and using digital well-being applications to control addictive behavior. Furthermore, it provides theoretical and practical insights for organizations to improve employees' cognitive performance.
... Another approach to observing the effects of music on attention is in relation to the level of extroversion or introversion of the individual(s). To explore this, Furnham and Strbac (2010) and Belojevic et al. (2001) conducted studies to observe the differences in impact that background-music listening has on introverts versus extroverts, with introversion measured using the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ). Both studies show that compared to introverts, extroverts tend to produce better results when in a noisier environment and are able to work significantly faster under noisy conditions. ...
... Both studies show that compared to introverts, extroverts tend to produce better results when in a noisier environment and are able to work significantly faster under noisy conditions. Specifically, the introverted participants in the study by Belojevic et al. (2001) reported their levels of fatigue and concentration problems were more prominent when in a noisy environment compared to when in a quiet environment. For both personality types, the accuracy of mental processes was not impacted by noise. ...
... For instance, a leader higher in extraversion would be more apt to structure tasks and the team's work environment in such a way as to maximize energy and stimulation (i.e., through scheduling socialization activities, creating extrinsic incentives and public recognition, and generating open and interactive collaboration opportunities; Ashton et al., 2002;Depue & Collins, 1999;McCrae & Costa, 1987). Rather than finding such practices motivating and enriching, a team lower in extraversion may feel such practices are distracting, inhibiting their focus and wasting time that the members of the team could be dedicating toward task achievement (Belojevic et al., 2001;Lucas et al., 2000;McCrae & Costa, 1987). Conversely, a leader lower in extraversion may seek to ensure more dedicated work time for a team's individual members (e.g., though work task segmentation and protection of team members' time for uninterrupted periods of work; Cain, 2013;Kahnweiler, 2009). ...
Researchers have cited the need to account for subordinates in the leadership process, and the leader–team fit paradigm provides a framework for simultaneously considering the characteristics of leaders and those of their subordinate teams. Drawing on extraversion personality theory stipulating extraversion's implications on motivation and communication styles and preferences, we seek to add nuance to the study of a trait that has been widely assumed to exert positive effects in leaders and teams. Integrating theorizing on extraversion and fit, we posit in this research that counterproductive leader and team behaviors will be associated with misfit leader–team pairings in which extraversion incongruence exists (leaders higher in extraversion paired with teams lower in extraversion or leaders lower in extraversion paired with teams higher in extraversion). We test our predictions in a time‐lagged field survey study of leaders and their respective teams in the nuclear power industry, using polynomial regression analyses to find support for hypotheses about the association of leader–team extraversion incongruence and detrimental leader (use of pressure influence tactics) and team (deviance directed at the organization) behaviors. We discuss the implications of our findings for research and practice on leaders, teams, deviance, and extraversion.
... Importantly, noise sensitivity is not solely determined by the intensity level or perceived sounds, but rather by the perception of a general noisy environment (Henry et al., 2022). Noise sensitivity is associated with personality traits such as neuroticism and introversion (Belojevic et al., 2001;Campbell, 1992;Dornic and Ekehammar, 1990) and it is considered to predict several outcomes related to noise such as annoyance and reduced life quality (Baliatsas et al., 2016;Marks and Griefahn, 2007;Heinonen-Guzejev et al., 2007;Stansfeld and Shipley, 2015). This condition, which has a prevalence in the general population ranging from 20% to 40% (Shepherd et al., 2015), is also related to hypertension and chest pain (Fyhri and Klaboe, 2009). ...
Music is generally considered a pleasant and positive stimulus. However, constant exposure to loud music, especially in acoustic environments where individuals have limited control, can transform music listening into a potentially distressing and detrimental experience. In certain contexts, music can therefore be classified as noise, with implications for mental well-being and cognitive functioning. In our paper, we delve into the complexities of this paradoxical phenomenon, discussing the implications of commonly experienced situations in which music becomes a source of discomfort due to its intensity or forced exposure. Our exploration of the effects of music exposure focuses on individual differences, encompassing clinical sensitivity (hyperacusis, misophonia), non-clinical sensitivity (noise sensitivity, sensory-processing sensitivity), and music-related individual factors (sensitivity to music pleasure). We argue that only by recognizing these aspects, significant progress can be made in prevention strategies and interventions. Our aim is to identify regulatory gaps and propose strategies to mitigate potential music-related discomfort in order to promote the creation of auditory environments that align with individual preferences and sensitivities. This approach is particularly relevant when considering clinical and non-clinical populations, for whom sensory sensitivities may substantially influence the quality of life.
... Persons with high noise sensitivity show worse mental performance results under noisy conditions and a higher noise annoyance level compared to subjects with low noise sensitivity55,56 . Neurotic persons and introverts show enhanced arousal levels and worse results in cognitive tasks under noisy conditions compared to extroverts and more stable personalities57,58 . Exposure of elderly women to residential roadBelojevic G. Annals of Nursing 2023; 1 (3): 10-33 traffic noise ≥50 dB Lden had the effect of impaired total cognition and the constructional praxis domain measured by Consortium to Establish a Registry on Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD-Plus) Neuropsychological Assessment Battery, compared to ˂50 dB Lden conditions 59 . ...
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of degenerative dementia and the seventh leading cause of death. Numerous influencing factors for AD have been investigated: aging, female gender, genetics, unhealthy diet, hearing loss, unhealthy lifestyle, physical inactivity, insufficient sleep, head injury, depression, hypertension, and environmental factors (air pollution, aluminum, silicon, selenium, pesticides, lack of sunbathing, electric and magnetic fields). Recent animal and human studies point to a possible relationship between noise exposure and AD. The aim of this narrative review is to present basic pathological concepts of this relationship. Possible mediating factors that explain the influence of noise on AD are sleep disturbance, excitotoxicity, oxidative stress injury in the auditory cortex and hippocampus, and systemic inflammation. Studies on animals point to cognitive dysfunctions related to noise exposure: anxiety-like behavior, impaired learning and memory, increased glutamate levels in the hippocampus and reduced expression of N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptor 2B. Neuropathological changes in animals exposed to noise include necrosis and apoptosis of hippocampal cells, accumulation of amyloid β, tau hyperphosphorylation and peroxidative damage in the hypothalamus and the auditory cortex, and the elevated expression of proinflammatory cytokines and microglial activation in the auditory cortex and hippocampus. Human brain scan studies have pointed to the positive relationship between traffic noise exposure and white matter volume in the body of the corpus callosum at the level of the auditory cortex. In conclusion, there is a biological plausibility of the noise-AD relationship, and noise countermeasures may be regarded as the prevention of AD.
... The World Health Organization (WHO), the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency recognize environmental noise as a factor that causes human population annoyance, hearing impairment, sleep and repose disturbance, cognitive impairment in children and cardiovascular diseases (NUGENT et al., 2014). It is also considered to be a stressful factor that can affect people's mental health, because when exposed to noise, people feel anxious and uncomfortable, which is more pronounced in introverted, neurotic and chronically ill persons (BELOJEVIC et al., 2001). Also, noise has been recognized as a risk factor for myocardial infarction because, as a stressor, by activating the hormonal system, it potentiates all those most significant risk factors for this disease: hypertension, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia and hypomagnesemia (MASCHKE et al., 2000). ...
The objective of this paper is to estimate percent of the human population in the City of Novi Sad (CNS) annoyed by road traffic noise according to two methods (ISO 1996-1: 2016, and National norm from 2010). 24-hour noise measurements data in the area of the city center and city roads in the CNS from 2012 to 2016 are obtained from the Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina (IPHV). Both methods show similar results, although with varying precision within the different noise range. Night noise stands out as a problem due to the fact that the expert recognize it as a significant factor responsible for the non-auditory effects of noise on human health and because the results of measurements of the IPHV confirm that the night-time noise is increased by 98% of measurements in the city traffic area.
Measurements inside 32 occupied high-school classrooms during the courses showed that the measured long-term equivalent noise levels are high. A significant percentage of students and teachers found these levels unacceptable. The observed noise levels depend on the time period of the course, the age, and the number of the students in each classroom. The large reverberation time and the high background noise are responsible for the measured high noise level.
Bireyler zaman zaman sözlü iletişimi değersiz bulur, sözlü iletişimden uzaklaşarak kaçınır ve iletişim isteksizliği yaşarlar. Toplumları da olumsuz yönde etkileyen iletişim isteksizliği kavramına yönelik yapılan bu araştırmanın amacı, Burgoon (1976) tarafından literatüre kazandırılan İletişim İsteksizliği Ölçeği'nin Türkçe diline uyarlanarak ulusal literatüre katkı sağlanması, iletişim isteksizliği etkenlerine yönelik öneriler sunulmasıdır. Bu çerçevede araştırmanın temel sorusu; "iletişim isteksizliğinin öncül ve ardılları nelerdir ve iletişim isteksizliği ölçeği Türkçeye uyarlanabilir mi" olarak belirlenmiştir. Araştırmada Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal Üniversitesi İletişim Fakültesi öğrencilerine (n=404) yönelik uygulama yapılmış olup elde edilen veriler SPSS 25 ve AMOS 26 programlarıyla analiz edilmiştir. Analiz sonucunda iki alt boyuttan (Yaklaşma-Kaçınma ve Ödüllendirme) ve 20 ifadeden oluşan ölçeğin Türkçeye uyarlama işlemi yapılmış, ulusal literatüre katkı sağlayan özgün bir çalışma oluşturulmuştur. Sonuç bölümünde teorik ve pratik önerilere yer verilmiştir.
Objective
Noise can cause distraction and mental dysfunction. In examining the effects of noise, it is important to pay attention to personality traits. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of noise exposure on problem-solving ability with the mediating role of personality type.
Method
This laboratory study was performed on 40 students. For this study, the recorded noise from the industry environment was broadcast to the volunteers and the students were exposed to different sound pressure levels (33, 75, 85 and 95 dBA). Eysenck Personality Questionnaire was used to assess personality type. Problem-solving abilities of students were assessed using the London Tower test. Data analysis was performed in version 22 of SPSS software.
Results
The results of data analysis showed that there is a significant relationship between different levels of noise pressure and students’ problem-solving ability so with increasing sound pressure level, problem-solving ability decreases (p < 0.001). No significant relationship was found between personality type and problem-solving ability (p > 0.05).
Conclusion
Considering the effect of noise on mental performance, noise control in work positions that require attention and processing of mental information is necessary.
Ss worked division problems for 20 min. in the presence of 98 db.-108 db. of noise while Ss of comparable mean ability in arithmetic worked the problems under conditions of room noise. Under each condition 1 group of Ss worked "easy" problems and another group worked "difficult" problems. Intense noise produced no effect on mean number of problems correctly solved. Variability of performance was significantly greater with easy problems under intense noise conditions than under room-noise conditions, although there was no difference with difficult problems. There was no evidence of a decrement in performance within the 20-min. session attributable to noise level. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
In 2 experiments, 70 extraverted and 70 introverted (Edwards Preference Inventory) males either chose the level of intensity of noise to be heard during a paired-associates (PA) learning task or were assigned noise at a given level of intensity. In both experiments, extraverts chose more intense noise levels than introverts. Extraverts and introverts were equal in psychophysiological arousal when stimulated with noise of an intensity chosen by either themselves or yoked members of the same personality classification. Introverts were found to be more aroused than extraverts when compared at the same intensity, regardless of whether the intensity was one preferred by extraverts or one preferred by introverts. At very high and very low levels of intensity of noise stimulation, introverts and extraverts were equally aroused in the 2nd experiment. In both experiments, PA learning was best among introverts and extraverts who were stimulated at a level of intensity chosen by themselves or members of the same personality classification. Results are discussed in terms of Yerkes-Dodson Law and its relation to extraversion–introversion. (25 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Uncomfortable loudness levels were measured for two groups of subjects with either high or low scores on a noise annoyance questionnaire. The study was conducted in two stages. In the first stage scores of noise annoyance, general annoyance and locus of control were obtained from 122 respondents. Two groups of responders on the noise annoyance questionnaire attended the laboratory for the second stage involving a determination of the uncomfortable loudness level (ULL) by two methods (Békésy and analogue adjustment) and for two types of sound source (white noise and a 1 kHz tone). The key findings from the first stage were that (i) noise annoyance scores were not bimodal, showing no significant deviation from normality, (ii) females showed higher noise annoyance and (iii) both general annoyance and locus of control scales showed significant positive correlations with noise annoyance. Findings from the second stage showed that (i) Békésy determinations gave higher ULL's than those from the analogue adjustment method, (ii) based on annoyance scores, noise-annoyed subjects produced significantly higher ULL's than their less annoyed counterparts but only with the analogue determination with a 1 kHz tone, (iii) females produced markedly lower ULL's than males and (iv) deactivation, locus of control and extroversion were identified as mediating factors in the setting of the ULL. The results were further discussed in terms of methodological differences between this and earlier studies.
Thirty-three male college students ages 18-31 were assigned to 2 levels of noise exposure and worked at 2 levels of effort while calculating the Norinder arithmetic task (M. Frankenhaeuser & U. Lundberg, 1977). As hypothesized, noise increased heart rate, norepinephrine, and cortisol only under high effort. Blood pressure did not change significantly. Reaction time slowed significantly under noise only when effort was low. Both self-report and epinephrine level confirmed the effort manipulation and showed that it was orthogonal to noise levels. These data support the adaptive costs hypothesis and have practical implications for industry. These implications include trade-offs of productivity and worker health, which may be dependent on management style.
Objective and subjective effects of moderate levels of recorded traffic noise [Leq = 55 dB(A) and 75 dB(A)] on mental performance were studied in a laboratory setting. A total of 45 subjects (23 males and 22 females) were investigated with respect to subjective noise sensitivity (SNS). Four cognitive tasks were applied involving different psychological functions: Short-Term Memory (STM), Search and Memory 5 (SAM 5) (vigilance), Hidden Figures (HF) (spatial reasoning) and Mental Arithmetic (MA) (parallel processing). Three groups of 15 subjects were defined according to their scores on Weinstein's Noise Sensitivity Scale as tolerant, moderately sensitive or highly sensitive to noise. A similar level of performance was observed in the three groups under quiet conditions [30 dB(A) Leq], but under noisy conditions significant differences (P < 0.05) were seen between them on the STM (words) and MA (total results) tasks, and the lowest performance accuracy was demonstrated by the noise-sensitive subjects. SNS was the primary factor responsible for these differences. There were no significant differences between the groups in respect of the SAM 5 and HF tasks, under either quiet or noisy conditions. Annoyance while performing tasks under noisy conditions was regularly and significantly higher among subjects judged to be noise sensitive on Weinstein's scale, as compared with those judged to have low or moderate SNS.
Two experiments examined the effects of time of day, introversion and neuroticism on selectivity in memory and attention. The first experiment showed that none of these factors interacted with task priority, which suggests that such variables do not produce the same changes in selectivity as do exogenous factors such as noise. In Exp. 2, colour names were read more quickly in the late afternoon than in the early morning, whereas patches of colour were named more quickly in the morning. Results from the Stroop interference condition showed that subjects classified as extraverts on the basis of Eysenck Personality Questionnaire scores were less susceptible to distraction than those scored as introverts, but the size of this effect was influenced both by time of day and by whether the subjects scored as stable or neurotic on the questionnaire.
Two experiments examined the effects of dme of day, introversion and neuroticism on selectivity in memory and attention. The first experiment showed that none of these factors interacted with task priority, which suggests that such variables do not produce the same changes in selectivity as do exogenous factors such as noise. In Exp. 2, colour names were read more quickly in the late afternoon than in the early morning, whereas patches of colour were named more quickly in the morning. Results from the Stroop interference condition showed that subjects classified as extraverts on the basis of Eysenck Personality Questionnaire scores were less susceptible to distraction than those scored as introverts, but the size of this effect was influenced both by time of day and by whether the subjects scored as stable or neurotic on the questionnaire.
Effects of personal control over noise intensity were studied in experimental situations where subjects performed mental arithmetic under noise exposure. Every other subject was offered a choice between noise intensities, and the next subject, serving as his yoked partner, had to submit to the same noise. Mean measures of catecholamine and cortisol excretion, and of heart rate and subjective effort and discomfort showed that subjects were more aroused in the yoked situation. There were, however, considerable interindividual differences, subjects classified as ‘internals’ or ‘externals’ on the basis of the Internal-External Locus of Control Scale responding to the two experimental conditions in congruence with their general beliefs and attitudes with regard to control.