Study: The real effect of noisy co-workers
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Most workplaces have folks who contribute more than their fair share of noise — the guy who talks loudly on his cell phone, or the one who’s typing sounds like a jackhammer. Here’s why those distractions might be even worse than you thought.
Everyone knows working in a noisy environment is tough. But a new study shows exactly how bad it can be. Here’s what the researchers did:
A bunch of administrative professionals were asked to perform typical office work for three hours. Half were by themselves in a private room, and the other half had to listen to a recording of typical “office sounds.”
Afterwards, the group was given a set of puzzles, some of them unsolvable (which the test subjects didn’t know).
The result: The group that spent three hours in peace and quiet was far more persistent, giving the puzzles two thirds as many tries as the other group before giving up.
In other words, the office noise zapped the subjects’ desire to work. A stretch? Maybe. But results like this might get managers to pay more attention to complaints about noisy cubicle neighbors.
Comments
2 Comments on Study: The real effect of noisy co-workers
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Jackie T - SPHR on
Tue, 16th Sep 2008 1:52 pm
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Mike L on
Tue, 16th Sep 2008 2:47 pm
Very interesting…personally I find it just as hard to focus on a tough project in “total silence” as I do when there is too much noise. It the environment is too quiet I will turn a radio on as background or put a “book on tape” on even if not real concentrating on either the music or the content. All a matter of preference I suppose.
My office co-workers sing, whistle and tap to the tunes on the radio very noticeably. Yell to each other over personal and business topics. I have a job that requires concentration. So, since my complaints have been ignored, I have resorted to ear plugs. Now they yell twice as loud when trying to get my attention. I guess they just don’t get it.
