A Meta-analytic Review of the Effects of Noise on Performance: Moderating Effects of Task and Noise Characteristics

In many modern environments noise is a pervasive and influential source of stress. Whether it is the acute result of impulse noise or the chronic effects of prolonged exposure to active machinery the challenge of noise faces many who must accomplish vital performance duties. While noise can have diffuse effects which are shared in common with any chronic form of stress, its influence can also vary as a function of the characteristics of the task and of the noise itself. Here, we provide a quantitative evaluation of those influences so that their most harmful effects can be mitigated, their most beneficial effects exploited and any residual effects incorporated and synthesized into selection, training and design strategies to facilitate human performance.