EEG Reaction and Cognitive Performance of Office Workers at Listening Annoying Sounds

Noise pollution in the contemporary workplace is a significant stressor, impacting employee performance and cognitive functions. Alyan et al, (2021) highlighted its effects on physical health, memory, alertness, and job satisfaction. The World Health Organization recommends noise levels under 65dB for auditory well-being. However, the environmental noise levels in office workspaces usually are at the limit or more than that, reaching noise levels of 90dB. This study investigates the effect of environmental noise as phone calls and casual conversations on 15 volunteers aged 20-40 while performing a language-related activity. Participants realized the activity while wearing the Unicorn Hybrid Black headset in two conditions: in a secluded environment without noise and under the influence of pre-recorded sounds simulating an office environment (cellphone notifications, phone calls and conversations). Neural activity was registered with the headset and the results were analyzed. It was discovered that the notification sound was the principal sound that affected the performance of the volunteer during the activity, but this depends on individual personality traits and habits.当代职场中的噪声污染是一类重要的应激源，会对员工的工作表现与认知功能造成负面影响。Alyan等人（2021）进一步阐明了其对身体健康、记忆力、警觉性以及工作满意度的影响。世界卫生组织（World Health Organization, WHO）建议，为保障听觉健康，职场噪声水平应控制在65分贝以下。但实际办公场所的环境噪声通常处于或超出该限值，最高可达90分贝。本研究针对20至40岁的15名志愿者展开实验，探究办公环境中诸如通话与闲聊这类环境噪声，在其完成语言类任务时所产生的影响。参与者佩戴Unicorn Hybrid Black头戴式设备，在两种环境条件下完成该语言任务：一是无噪声的密闭环境，二是播放预录制的模拟办公环境声音（含手机通知音、通话声与闲聊声）的环境。研究通过该头戴式设备记录受试者的神经活动，并对实验结果进行了分析。实验结果显示，手机通知音是对受试者任务表现影响最为显著的声源，但该影响程度取决于个体的人格特质与日常习惯。