I’m right. For once I’m right.
My husband has always scoffed at my claim that I work better against background noise. In college I could never ever study in a library or in my room- too quiet. I always took my textbooks to a coffee house or local pub, not a disco obviously, but a quiet neighborhood hang out.
An article in Science Daily confirms, well, it confirms me!
Too Much or Too Little Noise Turns Off Consumers, Creativity:
“We found that ambient noise is an important antecedent for creative cognition,” Mehta said. “A moderate level of noise not only enhances creative problem-solving but also leads to a greater adoption of innovative products in certain settings.
“In the article, Methta and co-authors Rui (Juliet) Zhu, of the University of British Columbia, and Amar Cheema, of the University of Virginia, explore how a moderate-level of ambient noise (about 70 decibels, equivalent to a passenger car traveling on a highway) enhances performance on creative tasks and increases the likelihood of consumers purchasing innovative products. Similarly, the researchers also studied how a high level of noise (85 decibels, equivalent to traffic noise on a major road) hurts creativity by reducing information processing.
“What we found is that there’s an inverted-U relationship between noise level and creativity,” Mehta said. “It turns out that around 70 decibels is the sweet spot. If you go beyond that, it’s too loud, and the noise starts to negatively affect creativity. It’s the Goldilocks principle — the middle is just right…
“Our findings imply that instead of burying oneself in a quiet room trying to figure out a solution, walking outside of one’s comfort zone and getting into a relatively noisy environment like a cafe may actually trigger the brain to think abstractly, and thus generate creative ideas,” Mehta said.”
Background noise = creative idea generation… I like it!
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I like it too.
I need some kind of noise in the background when I write.
One or two people who enter my office complain and think me rude as I never turn the radio off when they enter to have a conversation with me. Same if ‘the gods’ call, ” is that the radio on in the background, can you turn it off” I never respond and never turn it off.
I come in in the morning, I plug in the back up hard drive, I switch the printer on, I turn the speakers on, I lift the lid on the laptop and turn it on. I put my coat on a hanger, pull out my chair sit down.
Sign on screen is ready, sign on. Internet connection is made, Chrome is clicked on, chrome opens, bbc iplayer opens radio connected to, that’s it, it’s on until I leave
reach for a fag (Don’t tell - it’s illegal to light up indoors in the UK) and sit back …..
Don’t F*****g mess with my background noise, ever …….
I am the complete opposite. No music. No noise. No kids screaming and yelling. I need COMPLETE AND UTTER SILENCE. Same in college. I loved to study at the library in complete silence. AND…..I lived on the “quiet corridor” too. (Yes, you can totally make fun of me….feel free). I can’t even write when the landscape guys are outside mowing the lawn. I have to stop and wait for them to finish. (Bastards! Don’t they know I’m trying to work!)
I can never understand how folks work at Starbucks. I couldn’t do that in a million gazillion years. Unless maybe I was writing a story about Starbucks.
I agree I have to have music playing in the background while I write.
XXOO Kat
I need noise as well. that is why I always have music on when I work.
I need music to cover the noise around me….but for revisions, and proofing, I have to have quiet.
So everyone except for Miss Penelope needs sound/music, eh? She’s a very unique human being - well, Miss Penelope and my husband. He needs absolute quiet too.
I completely agree with you. I have to have background noise, but it can’t be anything interesting like a favorite movie or TV show. Otherwise, I start paying attention and stop working. I don’t like to write with music on either - just everyday background noise - that does the trick. The only time I like silence is while driving the car (no car radio) or reading in bed. Go figure.
Nope, I don’t work well in an environment like Starbucks either. Waaaay too many distractions. However, I do best with a “white” noise in the background such as a fan running. Then it’s neither too quiet or too noisy. No music because I tend to type the lyrics of the song instead of what I’m working on. Even if the music is “elevator” music with no actual singers.
I always wished they’d play music during math exams LOL. I always studied math with music, so it wasn’t that unreasonable was it?
Ciara - math and music go together. Everybody knows that or should! I’m totally with you.
Hey Anny - so you like white noise. I get that. I can’t write to music because I listen to hard.
Hi Casey - yes, I need just a background hum and activity - nothing I really want to hear.
Yea, SCIENCE DAILY!
When I have a deadline, I know the perfect combination of setting a floor fan to the 2nd level while playing a favorite CD of rain/waterfall sounds. If I really need to concentrate I put on a sweater and do this even in the winter. My husband says it’s “white noise” blurring the background, but for me it’s magic!
Marylin, you have been vindicated.
Being someone who writes, paints and draws, I could not do it without music! I would just be on Twitter all day.