Have you heard of “The Coffee Shop Effect”? For many years, psychologists and researchers of study methods claimed that it’s easier to focus with a little background noise than it is with complete silence. But there have been few actual studies on this. A resource called Coffitivity an archive of coffee shop sounds to play when working in silence, referred to one small study. But now, a more complex study has proven that this is the case.

It’s Called The Stochastic Effect

That’s the scientific name, but most people call it The Coffee Shop Effect because that’s where most people notice the greatest benefit – their local coffee shop. The explosion of these retail outlets in towns and cities, and in large shopping centres has been phenomenal. Part of their success is the number of self-employed people and students visiting to work. People who work in coffee shops are not sure how they are able to focus, they just know that they do.

Four Benefits of Background Noise

Background Noise Heightens Senses

A study on marine fish showed that senses are heightened, making predator detection easier. Humans are not fish constantly looking for predators, but the effect is the same. When noise intensity increases, there is a point at which that noise heightens the senses in all animals. This is called Stochastic Resonance. But once it goes above that sweet spot, performance degrades. With heightened senses, you are much more sensitive to the information you are studying.

The Brain Loathes Repetition

If you’re in the same place in the library every day, reading the same books, eventually your study will become less effective. Students should change where they study for maximum benefit. A coffee shop once a week won’t damage your pocket too much and the benefit of both the background noise and the change will help you focus. Our minds crave novelty activities for stimulation. In zoos, animals are given things to do as “enrichment exercises” for mental health. The concept is no different.

Stops the Brain Going into Autopilot

The main problem with a lack of background noise when doing repetitive tasks such as reading study notes is the brain’s capacity for autopilot. If you’ve ever driven a repetitive car journey and only remember leaving and arriving but nothing that happened on the journey, your brain was on autopilot. This is problematic when trying to study – you aren’t learning if your brain switches off.

It Promotes Creativity

Even if you don’t perceive yourself as a creative person, you are creative. Thinking up ways of studying, memory games, and even colour coding your notes is creativity if they are memory or study aids. Background noise – especially music – promotes this creativity and removes the inherent distractions of a quieter environment.