Investigating cognitive workload in irrelevant speech-based information communication with visual distractions: Pleasant or distracted?

Abstract

Irrelevant background sounds have been proven to decrease efficiency while working, while the perception may be different when people actively listen to pleasant background sounds at work. This study aims to investigate the cognitive workload in irrelevant speech-based information communication (live streaming, white noise, movie, songs, and quiet environment) with visual distractions under different reading tasks (familiar and unfamiliar reading material) using NASA-TLX and eye-tracking metrics. The results showed the main effect of irrelevant speech-based information type on NASA-TLX was not significant. Participants tended to show a higher preference for quiet-based information and the live-based information was the opposite. Revisits and fixation duration had a similar trend for a small window and movie-based information had the most revisits and fixation duration and white noise was the opposite. The results of this experiment will contribute to helping improve the pleasure perception while working and make communication information more efficient.