More than 300 people worked on mental
exercises, solving word-association puzzles and pondering practical
problems (say, improving a mattress). At the same time, researchers
played ambient noise recorded in a cafeteria, roadside, and at a
construction site softly, moderately, or loudly, with the moderate level
being about what you'd hear in a bustling cafe.
People in the moderate-noise groups
scored higher on the objective word-association test, and their answers
to the other problems were rated, subjectively by peers, as more
creative. The study adds to research suggesting that small doses of
distraction prompt the mind to work at a more abstract—and
creative—level.
"Is Noise Always Bad? Exploring the Effects of
Ambient Noise on Creative Cognition," Ravi Mehta, Rui (Juliet) Zhu and
Amar Cheema, Journal of Consumer Research (forthcoming)
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