The effects of speech intelligibility on reading comprehension under task-switching behaviour in open-plan offices

Abstract

Numerous investigations showed that speech noise is the most disturbing factor in work efficiency. Work efficiency decreases with speech intelligibility. The results of a recent study show that the effect of speech intelligibility on work efficiency is significantly correlated with the effect of speech intelligibility on reconcentration. To examine the effects of speech intelligibility on reading comprehension under task-switching behaviour, a total of 30 students were recruited to participate reading comprehension test, which is interrupted by a creative task. Task performance, psychology, and physiology indicators were carried out under eight experimental conditions with speech transmission index = 0.00, 0.17, 0.26, 0.36, 0.45, 0.52, 0.57, and 0.71. The experimental results showed that the task-switching behaviour had no evidence to support a significant impact on task performance for each speech intelligibility. However, task-switching behaviour significantly impacts participants’ fatigue and workload as the value of the speech transmission index increases.