Conference_programme: 20.1 - Indoor soundscaping
Lecture: An Experimental Study on the Influence of Environmental Noise on Students’ Attention
Author(s): Zhang Zhen, Zhang Yuan, Kang Jian
Summary:
The aim of this study was to explore the influences of environmental noise on individuals＇attention in learning spaces. The environmental noise with different sound source compositions and characteristics were divided into three typical levels, namely low 55dB, medium 65dB, high 75dB, based on the field survey data of 10 typical schools in a high-density city, Shenyang, China. To simulate the interferences of external noise on learning spaces, audios of three typical levels recorded in actual environments were played in laboratory, with their SPL reduced to low-45dB, medium-55dB, high-65dB, respectively. Attention tests were conducted on 20 undergraduate student subjects by visual tracking tasks and a telemetry eye tracker was used to record the eye-movement data. The task took pictures with multiple interlacing curves as experimental materials, and subjects were asked to track the curves with their eyes and speak out the number and the letter connected by one curve. “Accuracy”, “Reaction time” and “The average number of fixation points (completing one curve)” were taken as indices. The experiment used within-subjects design to eliminate the influence of individual differences. Latin square design was taken to avoid the order effect. Subjects were arranged to practice in advance to avoid the practice effect. The results showed that there were significant differences on the accuracy (F=4.692, P=0.013＜0.05；Mean: 45-0.60, 55-0.55, 65-0.54), reaction time (F=6.813, P=0.017＜0.05; Mean: 45-7.71s, 55-8.39s, 65-8.49s), the average number of fixation points (F=4.171，P=0.023＜0.05) under the influence of three typical levels of environmental noise. In conclusion, it was found that a higher environmental noise level led to lower accuracy and the longer reaction time, and attention was disturbed more seriously; and, a higher environmental noise level required more fixation points to capture information which means more efforts were needed to maintain the attention.
Corresponding author
Name: Dr Yuan Zhang
e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Country: China
