The Effect of Road Traffic Noise on Reaction Time

Alimohammadi, Iraj; Zokaei, Mojtaba; Sandrock, Stephan · 2015 · Crossref

DOI: 10.15171/hpp.2015.025

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Summary

This study investigates the impact of road traffic noise on human reaction time, specifically examining how personality traits (introversion versus extraversion) and sex influence this relationship. The research is motivated by the prevalence of urban noise pollution and its potential to degrade mental performance, which is a critical factor in road safety given that human error contributes significantly to traffic accidents. The authors aimed to determine if exposure to traffic noise increases reaction time and whether this effect varies based on individual characteristics. The experimental design involved 80 students from the Iran University of Medical Sciences, divided into case and control groups of 40 participants each. Personality types were assessed using the Eysenck Personality Inventory, resulting in equal numbers of introverts and extraverts within each group. Traffic noise was recorded at 90 points along arterial streets in Tehran, yielding an average equivalent noise level of 72.9 dBA. Participants performed reaction time tests using the Vienna Test System in an acoustic room. The case group was exposed to the recorded traffic noise for two hours before testing, while the control group remained in a quiet environment (32.9 dBA) for the same duration. Reaction time was measured before and after the exposure period to assess changes in performance. The results indicated that reaction time increased significantly for all participants in the case group after exposure to traffic noise compared to baseline measurements. While there were no significant differences in reaction time between introverts and extraverts or between males and females prior to exposure, the magnitude of the increase differed by personality type. Introverts experienced a significantly larger increase in reaction time (mean difference of 69.3 ms) compared to extraverts (mean difference of 25.1 ms). In contrast, sex did not significantly influence the change in reaction time, although females exhibited longer movement times than males. Movement time itself did not show significant changes due to noise exposure for any group. The study concludes that road traffic noise degrades performance by increasing reaction time, with introverts being more susceptible to this impairment than extraverts. This finding is explained by arousal theory, which suggests that introverts have a higher baseline level of central nervous system arousal and are therefore more negatively affected by additional stressors like noise. The authors imply that these findings have practical implications for road safety, suggesting that introverts and females may be at higher risk for accidents due to slower reaction times under noisy conditions. They recommend further research and potential adjustments to driving certification criteria to account for these individual differences.

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• music audio mood