The effects of music and distracting noise on the productivity of workers with mental retardation

Author(s): center, work activity

Journal/Book: Journal of Music Therapy. 1991; Silver Spring, Maryland, USA. National Association for Music Therapy 8455 Colesville Rd., Suite 930 20910 Silver Spring, Maryland USA. Journal Article.

Abstract: The effects of distracting noise and easy listening music on the productivity of metnally retarded workers was studied in this research. Participants in a work activity center of a state institution for developmentally disabled persons served as subjects. Their diagnoses ranged from profound to borderline mental retardation and profound to no deficits of adaptive behavior. A repeated measures experimental design was used to test worker productivity over three treatment conditions: (a) distracting noise, (b) music, and (c) distracting noise and music. The tasks performed by subjects were their regular work duties.The measure of productivity was a piece rate count of items produced. The experiment failed to confirm the research hypothesis, that differences in productivity would exist among the treatment conditions.

Keyword(s): effect-of-music, effect-of-noise, distraction, productivity, mental-retardation, developmental-disabilities, work,

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