Assessing cognitive effects of transportation noise on office workers with physiology and task performance

Abstract

Noise typically present in offices can negatively impact workers’ mental workload and task performance. This study investigated how transportation noise in open offices when windows are open can influence workers’ task performance, physiology (brain activity, heart rate variability, and skin resistance), and subjective ratings, as previous literature works often show inconclusive results or use unrealistic, simulated acoustic conditions. Subjects were given two cognitive tasks, mental arithmetic and digit span, while wearing three physiological measurement devices: an electroencephalography (EEG) headset, electrocardiogram (ECG) sensors, and electrodermal activity (EDA) sensors. After a baseline measurement, both the physiological markers and task performance were recorded for a training session, a quiet condition, and two transportation noise conditions with sound pressure levels of 50 and 70 dBA, respectively. Recorded rail noise was auralized in an anechoic chamber with a 32-loudspeaker array to simulate transportation noise heard when sitting in an office with an open window. Subjective rating questions regarding the acoustic environment and self-perception of mental workload and performance were administered after each acoustic condition. The effects of different acoustic conditions on cognitive task performance, physiological data, and subjective ratings were analyzed with a repeated measures MANOVA. Findings from this study will be presented.