Noise and competition effects on individual task performance

¶ … Distraction vs. Competition on Performance

People work best in a quiet environment. A little competition is a good thing. These two tenets have been the pillars upon which the modern school and office have been built. A recent study conducted in a Psychology Research Methods Lab seeks to determine which of these conditions has a greater effect on individual performance.

Several studies have shown that the introduction of noise into an environment has a negative affect on recall. Early examinations of the effects of noise on performance emphasized intensity of sound over other characteristics. However, more recent studies have demonstrated that "the disruptive effect of irrelevant sound on performance is in fact independent of the level of sound." (Jones, 1999) In fact, performance can decline between 30 and 50%, even if the individual is not paying attention to the sounds around them (Jones, 1999).

Conversely, the positive effects of competition are not so widespread. Studies have indicated that intrinsic motivation, of which competition can be one, does affect performance (Oldham, 1996). Other studies, however, seem to indicate that competition only has a positive effect on the performance of individuals with high confidence in their ability (Bergen, 1995).