Put-Up Or Shut-Up? Habituation to Speech and Office Noise

Abstract

This paper examines one of the most bothersome aspects of open-plan offices—the effect of background noise. Since office workers spend a considerable amount of time in these environments, the paper examines whether background noise can be habituated to in the laboratory using memory for prose tasks, presented before and after a habituation period. This paper reports two experiments that examined whether speech and office noise can be habituated to after prolonged exposure. Experiment 1 showed that meaning and repetition had no effect on the significant habituation effects seen after 20 minutes exposure to the noise. Experiment 2 found that office noise without speech can also be habituated to after prolonged exposure. These results are interpreted in the light of current research on the effects of background noise and habituation, and practical implications for office planning are discussed.