It's a Noisy World

The roar of jet engines. A neighbour's lawnmower. The buzz of a busy office. Construction-site clamour. 

Just imagining the noise you encounter in your daily life may make you feel tense. But have you ever considered that noise might affect your well-being?

Here's the good news. Research has indicated that your ability to control noise could help.

In a study of office noise, Cornell researchers Gary W. Evans and Dana Johnson found that ... "the uncontrollability of sound rather than its intensity is what makes it stressful." They also suggested that "... technological interventions (e.g., sound-masking devices under the control of the user) might help alleviate the harmful effects of open-office noise on workers."

QuietComfort® ACOUSTIC NOISE CANCELLING® headphones by Bose provide a user-controlled solution to noise, allowing users to reduce background clamour while travelling, in the office or at home. These headphones offer noise reduction alone, or noise reduction while listening to music, films or other audio sources. In fact, they provide a combination of unmatched noise reduction technology and headphone audio performance. And their ergonomic design allows for a comfortable fit.

Here are some additional findings researchers have reported about the effects of noise:

Fatigue
Low-frequency sound, such as background noise in an airplane, can produce fatigue. In a Bose survey of frequent travellers, 76% reported feeling less fatigued after wearing QuietComfort® headphones during their flights.

Memory
Background noise, particularly irrelevant speech, may disrupt the ability to remember. Quieter conditions have been shown to make it easier to retain and recall information.

Motivation
The inability to control noise can create a sense of helplessness. Problem-solving attempts are more likely to persist in less noisy environments.

Work performance
When noise levels increase, errors increase. And the effects are cumulative, with more errors occurring toward the end of the workday. A quieter work environment can be helpful in performing complex tasks. Information processing, analysis, learning and attention to detail are improved.

Teamwork
One research study showed that participants subjected to noise were less likely to assist their colleagues. A quieter environment may be more conducive to teamwork.

Stress
The hormone epinephrine is associated with stress. By measuring epinephrine levels, researchers have been able to determine the stress levels of study participants. Exposure to office noise has been shown to increase epinephrine levels. In quieter environments epinephrine levels are lower.