In my Experimental Psychology class, I had the opportunity to design and conduct a study on a topic of my choosing. I examined the relationship between ambient sound levels and students’ attentional capacity, theorizing that students in environments with ambient noise below 60 dB would have better focus and productivity than those in noisier settings (60–70 dB).

To test this, I measured ambient noise levels in various Tufts buildings commonly used for studying, as well as in dorm rooms, averaging the results to account for different study locations. Attentional capacity was assessed through a Qualtrics questionnaire, which included both self-reported attention ratings on a Likert scale and a Stroop task. The Stroop task, measuring response times for congruent and incongruent stimuli, provided an objective measure of cognitive functioning.

Although the sample size was too small for statistical significance, the data revealed a surprising trend: students in noisier environments exhibited higher attentional capacity, contradicting my initial hypothesis. While my theory was incorrect, the findings raise an interesting question—can an environment that is too quiet actually hinder focus?