ABSTRACT
The effects of background sounds on task performance are of great relevance to the study of efficiency at the place of work, whether the work is undertaken in the office or on the flight deck of an aircraft. Whilst the effects of loud white noise on cognitive processing have been generally very inconsistent, the deleterious effects of extraneous speech on cognitive processing are more consistent and, arguably, more relevant to the modem workplace. A number of laboratory studies have shown large, consistent and replicable disruption of performance, effects which appear to have relevance for the workplace.
