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Among other environmental troubles, disaster is approaching us noise pollution. What it is? Man has always lived in peace sounds. Birds sang next to him, leaves rustled, waves splashed, thunder roared and a blizzard howled …
Voices of nature – an orchestra of natural noises that our ear perceives as harmonious. But as human development civilization in our lives bursts more and more sounds that are not simply harmful to us, they have a destructive effect on our psyche. They are they are killing us.
Man is what he hears
Evidence of the negative effects of noise on human health enough of us. Loud sounds do not adversely affect not only on the hearing of a person, but also on the nervous system and his other physiological functions. This is most clearly manifested in gradual neurotization of those who are exposed for a long time noise exposure.
Repeatedly verified and has now become an axiom the conclusion is that people who can control acoustic level of the environment, noise interferes less. They rule noise source and can turn it off at any time appliances, tools, machines.
Noise always interferes with those who are under its influence and do not can have no effect on him, can’t control him or manage it. In all likelihood, something depends on mental mood in relation to noise sources. Swedish sociologists conducted an interesting experiment. The inhabitants of the village, located near a military airfield, everyone complained as one the noise of flying planes.
Half of them sent a beautiful, richly illustrated book. about the past and present of Swedish aviation. About how important it is to develop modern air transport … A few days later, psychologists spent questionnaire, which established that those to whom they presented a book, the noise disturbed … much less!
Noise directly affects the mental state of a person, and therefore, it is very important to fight it in order to maintain health the world’s population. Say noise increases fear. Promotes the development of aggressiveness. Psychiatrist Research show that for a long time acting loud noise or, worse Moreover, irregularly interrupted intense noise can cause people asocial actions.
Noise on the verge of permissible changes for any of us a streamlined rhythm activity, deforms behavior, makes you deviate from the rules in a relationship with loved ones … Noise reduces desire cooperation and the desire to help other people in need. Even the good neighbors can turn into embittered enemies that will harm one another. Nothing weakens our control over aggressive impulses like noise, that is, we are under the influence of noise prone to emotional outbursts.
Hush, brothers, hush!
An interesting study was conducted in psychological laboratories at the University of New Hampshire. Group of people first placed in a forest glade, and then in the field, where on them an unusually loud noise was produced, which made specially a mower adapted for this purpose.
Near this group, as if by chance, a man passed by a folder of papers fell from the hands – they scattered, the poor fellow began collect them. To enhance the effect of an “awkward person” who required to collect documents, one hand was in a cast – it’s easier Scientists believed to test the level of kindness in subjects. Result interesting: in normal conditions they showed a desire to help to a stranger 80% of those who watched, and in conditions of intense noise, only 15% did it.
In the Netherlands, such experiments are carried out regularly – on noisy business streets of large cities, as well as in quiet side streets on outskirts. “Lost tourist”, confusedly studying the map cities in the backyards, much more people were ready to help than in the busiest places of megacities. That is, the noise is significantly reduces the social motivation of our actions, kills desire help another disrupts the relationship between people. Robs us of good feelings …
Noise is a sign of life
As established in the course of psychological research, people According to noise perception, they are divided into two main categories: sensitive to noise and dependent on noise. For people first noise categories are always unpleasant, at any level. Perfect state they consider silence. For people of the second category, noise, sometimes even very strong, is some kind of acoustic drug. It is easy to justify the dependence on noise.
Noise has been shown to increase adrenaline, which in a psychological sense is manifested in the deliverance of feelings longing, loneliness, emptiness. They say a certain level noise even helps get rid of self-doubt.
These two types are the extreme points of a wide range human attitudes to noise. We are so adapted to modern noisy civilization that is in a state of absolute silence, in absolute acoustic sterility can not be for a long time, because the noise for us – a sign of life, a symbol of activity. The roar of motors, howl mechanisms, screams of people, tearful music of clubs, shooting firecrackers in holidays, the hubbub of meeting friends – all this is our natural background.
And if sometimes we complain about the noise of children playing, say, then if he disappears, we feel sad. The noise is salvation from loneliness. Maybe that’s why the younger generation loves the high decibels. Being continuously exposed to noise, youth feels in a pack, gets rid of the painful questions that require concentration and solitude.
In the Middle Ages in monasteries with loud singing and playing on musical instruments escaped from the temptation of the devil. Maybe today are we afraid of his claws? And finally, I must say that in different situations, this or that type of noise becomes for us desirable and enjoyable. Say, waiting for a late train, we joyfully react to the roar of approaching wagons. Siren howl ambulance becomes sweeter than a quiet declaration of love if we are waiting for her, worrying about the health of loved ones.
And yet we have to think about the ecological balance in acoustic sphere – its violation is dangerous for the psyche. Need again learn to hear the rustle of rain, trills of birds and peals of may thunder.
Margarita MANOSKINA
Time Life Birds Health
