University of Portsmouth study finds students work best in places like cafes not libraries

New research finds undergraduate students with high cognitive flexibility had more ideas in the presence of ambient noise, according to a small-scale study by the University of Portsmouth and University College London.

This study looked at the impact of ambient noise on creative performance in undergraduates during the COVID-19 pandemic, when common learning spaces were restricted and people were instructed to work from home.

Dr. Jessica Massonnié, lecturer in psychology and early childhood studies at the University of Portsmouth said: ‘To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the impact of ambient noise on idea generation along with a behavioural measure of cognitive flexibility.

‘The findings shed light on the benefits of ambient noise for those with higher levels of cognitive flexibility.

‘This provides implications for setting up environments where creativity and noise take place, such as universities, coffee shops, libraries and community settings. These locations might benefit from establishing ambient noise and quiet areas to suit a variety of individuals. Overall, noise is not always bad. Depending on the individual, a moderate level of ambient noise may help to generate more ideas.’

The undergraduates completed the creative task in silence, and in ambient noise.

Dr Massonnié added: ‘Our findings suggest students with high cognitive flexibility might benefit more from switching between their task and noise, whereas participants with low cognitive flexibility might be too overwhelmed by noise to benefit from distraction.’