Human response to environmental noise: the role of perceived control.
Negative impacts of noise exposure on health and performance may result in part from "learned helplessness," the syndrome of deficits typically produced by exposure to uncontrollable events. People may perceive environmental noise to be uncontrollable, and several effects of noise exposure appear to parallel "learned helplessness" deficits. In the present socioacoustic survey (N = 1,015), perceived control over aircraft noise correlated negatively with some effects of noise (though not others). Furthermore, these effects were better predicted by perceived control than by noise level. These observational data support the claim that "learned helplessness" contributes to the effects of noise exposure.
Hatfield
Julie
J
School of Psychology, University of Sydney, 2006, Australia. julieh@psych.usyd.edu.au
Job
R F Soames
RF
Hede
Andrew J
AJ
Carter
Norman L
NL
Peploe
Peter
P
Taylor
Richard
R
Morrell
Stephen
S
D000328:Adult; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006380:Helplessness, Learned; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D009622:Noise / Q000009:adverse effects*; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires