The effects of background white noise on memory performance in inattentive school children
The effects of background white noise on memory performance in inattentive school children
Background: Noise is typically conceived of as being detrimental for cognitive performance; however, a recent computational model based on the concepts of stochastic resonance and dopamine related internal noise postulates that a moderate amount of auditive noise benefit individuals in hypodopaminergic states. On the basis of this model we predicted that inattentive children would be enhanced by adding background white noise while attentive children's performance would deteriorate.
Methods: Fifty-one secondary school pupils carried out an episodic verbal free recall test in two noise conditions. In the high noise condition, verb-noun sentences were presented during auditory background noise (white noise, 78 dB), and in the low noise condition sentences were presented without noise.
Results: Exposure to background noise improved performance for inattentive children and worsened performance for attentive children and eliminated episodic memory differences between attentive and inattentive school children.
Conclusions: Consistent with the model, our data show that cognitive performance can be moderated by external background white noise stimulation in a non-clinical group of inattentive participants. This finding needs replicating in a larger sample using more noise levels but if replicated has great practical applications by offering a non-invasive way to improve school results in children with attentional problems.
55
Söderlund, Göran BW.
4fae1f59-a8a2-4e44-9f3c-08b9e5e943e8
Sikström, Sverker
5cf6dfd8-ce18-4672-8762-cad324d5d0f8
Loftesnes, Jan M.
020aac9d-21e1-405e-83f5-e567c4053223
Sonuga-Barke, Edmund J.
bc80bf95-6cf9-4c76-a09d-eaaf0b717635
29 September 2010
Söderlund, Göran BW.
4fae1f59-a8a2-4e44-9f3c-08b9e5e943e8
Sikström, Sverker
5cf6dfd8-ce18-4672-8762-cad324d5d0f8
Loftesnes, Jan M.
020aac9d-21e1-405e-83f5-e567c4053223
Sonuga-Barke, Edmund J.
bc80bf95-6cf9-4c76-a09d-eaaf0b717635
Söderlund, Göran BW., Sikström, Sverker, Loftesnes, Jan M. and Sonuga-Barke, Edmund J.
(2010)
The effects of background white noise on memory performance in inattentive school children.
Behavioral and Brain Functions, 6 (1), .
(doi:10.1186/1744-9081-6-55).
Abstract
Background: Noise is typically conceived of as being detrimental for cognitive performance; however, a recent computational model based on the concepts of stochastic resonance and dopamine related internal noise postulates that a moderate amount of auditive noise benefit individuals in hypodopaminergic states. On the basis of this model we predicted that inattentive children would be enhanced by adding background white noise while attentive children's performance would deteriorate.
Methods: Fifty-one secondary school pupils carried out an episodic verbal free recall test in two noise conditions. In the high noise condition, verb-noun sentences were presented during auditory background noise (white noise, 78 dB), and in the low noise condition sentences were presented without noise.
Results: Exposure to background noise improved performance for inattentive children and worsened performance for attentive children and eliminated episodic memory differences between attentive and inattentive school children.
Conclusions: Consistent with the model, our data show that cognitive performance can be moderated by external background white noise stimulation in a non-clinical group of inattentive participants. This finding needs replicating in a larger sample using more noise levels but if replicated has great practical applications by offering a non-invasive way to improve school results in children with attentional problems.
This record has no associated files available for download.
More information
Published date: 29 September 2010
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 166347
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/166347
ISSN: 1744-9081
PURE UUID: 9f0714c6-99be-4ef3-9459-02fc2db0377d
Catalogue record
Date deposited: 27 Oct 2010 14:28
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 02:13
Export record
Altmetrics
Contributors
Author:
Göran BW. Söderlund
Author:
Sverker Sikström
Author:
Jan M. Loftesnes
Author:
Edmund J. Sonuga-Barke
Download statistics
Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.
View more statistics