Physiological, motivational, and cognitive effects of aircraft noise on children: Moving from the laboratory to the field

Studied the effects of aircraft noise on 3rd- and 4th-grade students as evidence for the effects of community noise on behavior and as an example of a study that examines the generality of laboratory effects in a naturalistic setting. The impact of noise on attentional strategies, feelings of personal control, and physiological processes related to health was measured. Results are consistent with laboratory work on physiological response to noise and on uncontrollable noise as a factor in helplessness. 142 Ss from noisy schools had higher blood pressure than 120 Ss from matched quiet schools. Noisy-school Ss were also more likely to fail on a cognitive task and more likely to give up before the time to complete the task elapsed. The development of attentional strategies predicted from laboratory and previous field research was, on the whole, not found. The implications for understanding the relationship between noise and behavior and for influencing public policy are discussed.