Performance during Continuous and Variable Intermittent Noise and Wearing Ear Protection,
Abstract
In Experiment 1 36 civilians performed the 5-choice serial reaction task for 40 min under each of the following 3 conditions: (1) Continuous broadband noise with equal energy per octave at a sound pressure level of 95 dBc. (2) Quiet, the same noise at 70dBc. (3) Variable intermittent noise alternating between 70 and 95 dBc at irregular intervals, with the duration of the nosie bursts averaging twice the duration of the quiet intervals. There were more gaps of 1.5 sec or longer between responses in the variable intermittent noise than in quiet. The increase was twice as great in the continuous noise. The beneficial effect of changing from the continuous noise to the variable intermittent noise was probably due to the increase in variety produced by the variable intermittent noise. In Experiment 2 16 civilians performed the 5-choice serial reaction task for 40 min under each of the following 4 conditions: (1) The broadband noise at 95 dBc. (2) Quiet, the same noise at 70 dBc. (3) and (4) The same noise and quiet, but wearing ear muffs. Without the ear muffs there were more gaps in noise than in quiet. Ear muffs prevented the detrimental effect of the noise, but only during the first 20 min of the 40 min task. During the second half of the task the civilians without ear muffs had probably adapted to the noise. Thus their performance did not suffer so much from the lack of ear muffs. Errors were not affected by any of the experimental conditions.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1974
- Accession Number
- ADA027142
Entities
People
- L. R. Hartley