Which Background Noise-levels spark a person’s Creativity?

Having the right place to do creative work may be difficult. Too much noise is distracting, and total silence can create an ineffective and dull atmosphere.

A Study on Background Noise-levels

A Harvard Business Review article referenced a study that researched how numerous background noise levels can affect an individual’s creativity.

A randomized study was conducted on groups of participants. They were exposed to background noises that varied from complete silence to 50, 70, and 85 decibels (which is the level when hearing loss can begin). The differences between each of these levels was irrelevant for the analysis, except for the 70 decibel level. Seventy decibels is akin to the amount of background noise at a coffee shop. That group of participants “significantly outperformed the other groups.”

The Goldilocks Zone

The study concluded that the best creative thinking occurs with the appropriate noise levels in the “Goldilocks” zone. That refers to having just the right amount of noise: not too much but not too little. They claimed that 70 decibels was the right amount.

Coffee shops are a popular spot for creative people to work. They have essentially become another office space for them. Coffee shops have just the right amount of ambient noise, which generates creative thinking.

If you are in a creative dry spell and have trouble hearing, please contact one of our hearing instrument specialists at Pure Sound Hearing Aids for a hearing test and consultation.

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