Annoyance

One of the most salient effects of noise on humans is annoyance, which Molino (1979) defines with the statement, "a noise is said to be annoying if an exposed individual or a group of individuals would reduce the noise, avoid, or leave the noisy area if possible" (p. 16-1). And as Miller (1979a) points out, annoyance "is distinct from judgments of loudness and perceived noisiness. . . . [It] is a response to noise rather than a dimension of auditory experience" (p. 137).

Annoyance due to noise depends on many factors, including several parameters of the noise itself. For example, louder noises are generally more annoying than quieter noises (e.g. van Dijk, Verbeek, & de Fries, 1987), though two sounds with equal intensity (i.e. loudness) may still result in different levels of annoyance. Indeed, patterned sounds appear to be less annoying than sounds that are randomly produced (Bragdon, 1972). Also, noises that are higher in pitch are generally rated as more annoying than lower-frequency noise. And finally, annoyance depends on the regularity of the noise. That is, noises that remain constant in pitch (Bragdon, 1972) and intensity (Molino, 1979) are generally rated as less annoying than noises that change in pitch or intensity.

Another factor affecting annoyance appears to be the source of the noise. For example, it appears that noise produced by street traffic is less annoying than equally-intense noise that is produced by aircraft (Kryter, 1982), an effect that was observed by Hall and colleagues (1981), as well. As such, much of the research on noise-induced annoyance has focused on aircraft noise (Abel, 1990; Miller, 1979a).

There are other factors that influence noise-induced annoyance, as well. For example, Miller (1979a) asserts that noise of a given intensity is more annoying during the night than during the day, an effect that was also observed by Gyr and Grandjean (1984). Additionally, the neighborhood that one is in is also important to consider. That is, for a given noise exposure, annoyance is greatest in rural areas, followed by suburban, urban, residential, commercial, and industrial areas in decreasing order of annoyance. And noise appears to be more annoying in the summer than in the winter (Miller, 1979a).

Finally, it is important to consider the influence of individual characteristics on noise, especially attitude. According to Miller (1979a), "highly annoyed persons are likely to believe that those responsible for the noise are not concerned about those being exposed to the noise, and they are also likely to believe that the source of noise is not of great importance to the economic and social success of the community" (p. 137). Additionally, "highly annoyed persons are likely to have negative attitudes toward many kinds of noise; to be generally sensitive to irritation produced by noise; to believe that their neighbors share their annoyance; to say that they would be unwilling to accept further increases in noise levels; and to believe that noise is a health hazard" (pp. 137-138). Further, it does not appear that annoyance due to noise pollution exhibits habituation. That is, continued exposure to noise does not appear to decrease annoyance. Rather, it appears that in some cases continued exposure to noise actually increases annoyance (Abel, 1990; Borsky, 1970).

In addition, it appears that the annoying effects of noise are cross-cultural. Indeed, Abel (1990) states that there is "high similarity of community reactions to changes in noise exposure level" and that the annoying effect of noise "does not appear to be significantly influenced by nationality" (p. 9).

On to Communication Interference
Back to Effects on sleep