The Effects of Auditory Distraction on Reaction Time

General assumptions indicate that simple reaction time may be affected by certain auditory stimuli. Sounds such as traffic noise, crowd noise, and rock music have been purported to hinder reaction time, while sounds such as classical music and nature sounds may improve reaction time. This study analyzed the performance of subjects on reaction time tests under each auditory condition and also under a silent condition. By assessing the differences between these values, this study determined whether reaction time to a visual stimulus could be heightened or worsened due to exposure to auditory distraction. We utilized t-tests to determine whether these differences in performance are significant and to determine whether these data supported our hypotheses