Noise effects on human performance: A meta-analytic synthesis

Szalma (2011) · Psychological Bulletin · Read the paper

Szalma and Hancock, Psychological Bulletin 137(4), 2011, 682-707. Meta-analysis of 797 effect sizes from 242 studies; effects varied by task type, measure, noise schedule, intensity and exposure duration; continuous and intermittent noise differed; evidence for arousal and masking accounts mixed; overall pattern best fit a maximal adaptability, mental-resource account.

Szalma and Hancock, Psychological Bulletin 137(4), 2011, 682-707. Meta-analysis of 797 effect sizes from 242 studies; effects varied by task type, measure, noise schedule, intensity and exposure duration; continuous and intermittent noise differed; evidence for arousal and masking accounts mixed; overall pattern best fit a maximal adaptability, mental-resource account.

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.

Szalma, J. L., & Hancock, P. A. (2011). Noise effects on human performance: A meta-analytic synthesis. Psychological Bulletin, 137(4), 682-707. doi:10.1037/a0023987 https://doi.org/10.1037/a0023987