Effects of Background Sound Type and Intensity in Confined Space on Auditory Working Memory

Auditory working memory is an essential component of working memory and plays a crucial role in a variety of cognitive tasks. Previous research has demonstrated that the type and volume of background sound has an effect on cognitive performance, however the effects of background sound in a confined space is not clear yet. This study aims to investigate the effects of background sound type and intensity on the performance of auditory working memory in confined space. A 4(background sound type) ×3(background sound level) within-subject design was employed. The results indicate that although the background sound type has no significant effect on auditory working memory in confined space, loud background noise has a negative impact on the task. The results also suggest that effects of environmental sound on cognitive task may be related to the allocation of attention resources.