Citation

Moser G. J. Environ. Psychol. 1988; 8(4): 287-298.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1988, Academic Press)

DOI

10.1016/S0272-4944(88)80035-5

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The effects of environmental overload and noise on helping behavior is assessed through a 2 × 3 experimental design including two levels of environmental overload and three conditions on each site: without roadworks, roadworks without noise, and noisy roadworks.

Results are analysed in terms of the cognitive appraisal of the situation and the narrowing of attention. The subject's behavior when confronted with explicit and implicit helping requests shows that noise appears to be the most important component of overload, affecting both the subjects' attentiveness in implicit helping demands, as well as the refusal to engage in verbal interaction.