NOISE POLLUTION AND ITS EFFECTS ON HUMAN MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH

Authors

Seth Anderson

Date of this Version

5-2022

Citation

Environmental Studies Undergraduate Student Thesis, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 202

Comments

Copyright 2022, Seth Anderson

Abstract

Noise pollution is defined as unwanted sound, capable of causing both mental and physical harm. In order to see if there was a correlation between increasing noise pollution (dB) and (a) increasing Negative Affect Score (NAS), (b) decreasing Positive Affect Score (PAS), and (c) increasing Resting Heart Rate (RHR), research was conducted. Participants were taken to four different testing locations, each with a corresponding dB level, and asked to (a) have their Resting Heart Rate (RHR) taken and (b) fill out a questionnaire based on the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) psychological measure. At the conclusion of this study, it was shown that (a) there was a significant effect of noise pollution (dB) on Negative Affect Score (NAS), (b) there was NOT a significant effect of noise pollution (dB) on Positive Affect Score (PAS), and (c) there was a significant effect of noise pollution (dB) on Resting Heart Rate (RHR). Since this study was limited by different factors (weather conditions, sample size, varying moods, and varying RHR), different steps could be taken to tighten the research design. Overall, due to the small sample size (10), it is not statistically significant enough to draw any concrete conclusions.