The effects of background auditory interference and extraversion on creative and cognitive task performance

Abstract

The present study examined the effects of different types of background auditory stimuli on the cognitive and creative task performance of introverts and extraverts. A sample of 77 high-school students completed two cognitive tasks (Baddeley Reasoning Test and sentence-completion) and a creative task (Alternate-Uses Test of divergent thinking) under one of four different background auditory conditions (speech, noise, music, or silence), as well as being assessed on Extraversion. Results showed no significant main or interactive effects of background auditory stimuli and personality on either cognitive task performance. However, there was a significant interactive effect on creative performance, with extraverts performing better in the presence of music than introverts. Consistencies and discrepancies with past literature are discussed.