Assessment of the effects of different noise levels on mental performance of individual doing mathematical calculation

Background and Objectives: Noise is one of the most important adverse working conditions that experience in most workplaces. Effect of noise on job performance is a controversial topic among researchers. Noise is an environmental stressor, caused inaccuracy in brain activity, lack of coordination in intellectual task, enhancing in mental disorders and influence on efficiency.Materials and Methods: The sounds were required to be prepared and approved. The numbers of cases involving male students were determined. A checklist was used for entrance into the study. The study was performed using standard methods to control and limit confounding factors. The subjects were exposed to three sound level of 53 dB (sound-based), 53 and 53 dB. Simultaneously, samples were doing the mathematical calculations.Results and Discussion: Results showed that there was a significant correlation between different levels of noise and increased reaction time, depth of both middle and deep mental process (reduction of computational efficiency and precision). There is no significant relationship between different levels of noise and mental processes at shallow level.Conclusion: With rising the noise levels, reaction time increased and precision and efficiency calculations reduced.

Keywords:

Sound level , mental performance , mathematical calculations