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The effect of speech and speech intelligibility on task performance.
N Venetjoki1, A Kaarlela-Tuomaala, E Keskinen
1Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Laboratory of Ventilation and Acoustics, Lemminkäisenkatu 14-18 B, FIN-20520, Turku, Finland.
Ergonomics
|September 5, 2006
Summary
Speech in open-plan offices significantly impairs proofreading performance. Masked speech and continuous noise offer better acoustic privacy and do not affect cognitive tasks.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Environmental Psychology
- Acoustics
Background:
- Open-plan offices are common workplaces.
- Acoustic privacy is a significant concern in these environments.
- Understanding the impact of sound on cognitive performance is crucial for productivity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of different sound environments on cognitive task performance.
- To evaluate the impact of speech, masked speech, and continuous noise on cognitive functions.
- To determine the relationship between acoustic privacy levels and cognitive task outcomes.
Main Methods:
- A laboratory experiment was conducted with 36 subjects.
- Participants performed cognitive tasks of varying complexity under three sound conditions: speech, masked speech, and continuous noise.
- Speech transmission indices (STIs) of 0.00, 0.30, and 0.80 were used, with sound levels at 48 dBA.
Main Results:
- Proofreading performance significantly deteriorated in the 'speech' environment (STI 0.00) compared to others (p < 0.05).
- Reading comprehension and various computer-based tasks (reaction time, subtraction, proposition, Stroop, vigilance) were not significantly affected by sound environment.
- Subjects found the 'speech' environment most disturbing and least pleasant, while 'continuous noise' was least annoying (p < 0.01).
Conclusions:
- Reducing speech intelligibility in open-plan offices can enhance cognitive performance, particularly for tasks like proofreading.
- Implementing strategies such as attenuating speech levels and using masking sound environments can improve workplace acoustics and productivity.
- While some cognitive tasks are robust to noise, proofreading is sensitive to intelligible speech, highlighting the need for acoustic management.
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