Is noise always bad? Exploring the effects of ambient noise on creative cognition
Mehta, Zhu and Cheema, Journal of Consumer Research 39(4), 2012, 784-799. Five experiments: moderate ambient noise (70 dB) improved creative performance and purchase likelihood for innovative products compared with low noise (50 dB); high noise (85 dB) impaired creativity. Moderate noise raised processing difficulty, promoting abstract construal and creativity, and reduced the extent of information processing.
Mehta, Zhu and Cheema, Journal of Consumer Research 39(4), 2012, 784-799. Five experiments: moderate ambient noise (70 dB) improved creative performance and purchase likelihood for innovative products compared with low noise (50 dB); high noise (85 dB) impaired creativity. Moderate noise raised processing difficulty, promoting abstract construal and creativity, and reduced the extent of information processing.
Written from the abstract (OpenAlex), 2026-11-07.
What our sources record
Recorded when this source was checked, figures included, with page references and quotation marks removed.
Mehta, R., Zhu, R. (J.), & Cheema, A. (2012). Is noise always bad? Exploring the effects of ambient noise on creative cognition. Journal of Consumer Research, 39(4), 784-799. doi:10.1086/665048 https://doi.org/10.1086/665048