Effect of Auditory Noise on Behavioral and Event-Related Potential Measures of Visual Attention

Abstract

The introduction of task-irrelevant auditory noise during a visual task has previously shown detrimental effects on markers of attention. However, literature has also shown that white noise can provide beneficial effects on attentional performance in populations with attention difficulties. To better understand the neural underpinnings of these discrepant findings, behavioral (reaction times and accuracy) and event-related potential (N1 and P3) data were collected in adults with varied levels of attentional difficulties. This study used an Attentional Network Task targeting the altering, orienting, and executive control networks to examine the effects of task-irrelevant babble noise and spectrally matched white noise on visual attention. Results indicate a main effect of flanker and cue type for accuracy, reaction time, N1 and P3 amplitudes. No significant differences were found to differentiate the stimulus conditions neurally, however reaction time was found to be fastest in quiet and slowest in the babble condition, with the white noise landing in between. The current study did not find significant results implicating white noise as beneficial overall or in correlation to larger ASRS score or increased attentional difficulties.