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Effects Of Noise On Productivity: Does Performance Decrease Over Time?, Jessica Errett, Erica Eileen Bowden, Marc Choiniere, Lily M. Wang

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

Most people at one time or another have found themselves irritated or distracted by the background noise in a building. The irritation might have resulted in minor aggravation or may have been dramatic enough to hinder their work. This leads us to ask whether occupants are increasingly aggravated by noise the longer they are exposed to it, or if they naturally habituate to their acoustic environment. In an effort to answer this question, a study was completed in the “Indoor Environment Lab” at the University of Nebraska. This lab resembles a typical office and was specially constructed to be acoustically …