The
Psychoacoustic
Approach
An alternative approach to resolving office noise
Nigel Oseland PhD CPsychol
@oseland
www.workplaceunlimited.com
ANC Conference, © Oseland 2016
Office noise also major problem
53% of respondents
say the workplace
enables them to
work productively
Leesman (2016) 100,000+ Data Report
ANC Conference, © Oseland 2016
What is noise?
“Noise is unwanted sound”
Sound level = 25% noise
ANC Conference, © Oseland 2016
Context & attitude
ANC Conference, © Oseland 2016
What is psychoacoustics?
“Psychoacoustics is the
scientific study of the
psychological and
physiological responses
associated with sound”
Study of how people perceive,
interpret and react to sound
ANC Conference, © Oseland 2016
Evidence based approach
Literature
Review
Tool
Development
develop
hypotheses
apply
hypotheses
On-line
Survey
verify
hypotheses
Intervention
Study
test tool
>150 research papers
>500 survey responses
ANC Conference, © Oseland 2016
Rating scales
Performance (%)
Productivity
Ability to work
Concentration
Distraction
Speech interference
Stress
Wellbeing
+ Personality + Activity
+ Place + Design …
ANC Conference, © Oseland 2016
Noise does affect productivity
Mean effect of noise = -5.1%
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Coping mechanisms
Move to another team or organisation
Build a physical barrier
Move to another desk
Raise the issue with colleagues
Move to a meeting room
Wear headphones/earplugs
Come in early or work late
Move to quiet pod or breakout
Work from home or elsewhere
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
% Response
ANC Conference, © Oseland 2016
Factors affecting noise impact
• Personality type
• Work activity
• Place of work
• Perceived control
• Design features
• Individual factors
ANC Conference, © Oseland 2016
Personality types
Neurotic
Moody
Rigid
Unsociable
Pessimist
Melancholic
Quiet
Tough
Aggressive
Excitable
Impulsive
Choleric
Active
Introvert
Passive
Thoughtful
Controlled
Reliable
Calm
Extrovert
Phlegmatic
Sanguine
Sociable
Outgoing
Responsive
Lively
Leader
Stable
ANC Conference, © Oseland 2016
Personality & performance
Introvert v Extrovert







Performance
Productivity
Concentration
Distraction
Speech
Stress
Wellbeing
Neurotic v stable







Performance
Productivity
Concentration
Distraction
Speech
Stress
Wellbeing
ANC Conference, © Oseland 2016
Acoustic design index (ADI)
0
% Performance
-6
-4
-2
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
-2
r = 0.49
p = 0.05
-4
Weighted
-6
binned
regression
-8
-10
-12
Acoustic Design Index
ANC Conference, © Oseland 2016
Key contributing variables
Factor Analysis entered variables
Variance
Screening ability, Design
13%
Screening ability, Design, Age
27%
Screening ability, Design, Home-working
25%
Screening ability, Design, Extroversion, Openness
17%
Screening, Design, Age, Neuroticism, Openness
25%
Screening ability, Control, Neuroticism
40%
Distraction
Screening ability, Control, Home-working
41%
Interruption
Screening ability, Control, Heads-down
26%
Noise perception
Performance (%)
Productivity
Ability to work
Wellbeing
Stress
Concentration
ANC Conference, © Oseland 2016
People-centred guidance
Displace
Avoid
Reduce
Educate
DARE
ANC Conference, © Oseland 2016
Solution process
Evaluation
Solutions
Acoustic/Physical
Environment
1. Acoustic Layer
Roles &
Work Activity
2. Activity Layer
Personality
Profiles
Individual &
Team Factors
Sound Treatment
Specific Work Settings
3. Zoning Layer
Layout & Team Zoning
4. Behavioural Layer
Education & Etiquette
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Survey & tool
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Acoustic design before
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Acoustic design after
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Acoustic design before
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Acoustic design after
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Zoning – task & personality
Meetings
Teleconf
Focus/quiet pod
Calming
Team
Stimulating
Coffee
Lunch
Informal
Private call
Quiet
Breakout
Brainstorm
Meeting room
Lunch
Walkabout
ANC Conference, © Oseland 2016
Behavioural
Choice of settings
Perceived control
Acoustic etiquette
Variable work hours
Do not disturb signals
Visual design cues
ANC Conference, © Oseland 2016
Free resources
Oseland & Hodsman (2015) Planning for Psychoacoustics: A
Psychological Approach to Resolving Office Noise Distraction.
Workplace Unlimited.
Oseland (2015) Psychoacoustics Survey Results: Psychological
Factors Affecting Noise Distraction. Workplace Unlimited.
Nigel Oseland PhD CPsychol
@oseland
[email protected]
ANC Conference, © Oseland 2016