Noise and Cognitive Flexibility: Exploring the Moderating Roles of Eastern and Western Perspectives of Mindfulness, and the Mediating Mechanisms of Arousal and Cognitive Processing

Abstract

Using a between-subject experimental design, the current thesis takes an exploratory approach in examining the effects of open-office noise on cognitive flexibility. In attempts of gaining a holistic understanding of this relationship, we investigated the mediating effects of arousal and cognitive processing, as well as the moderating roles of Eastern and Western trait mindfulness. Three central models were employed in order to see whether a) arousal and cognitive processing would comparably mediate the relationship (parallel mediation), b) if arousal and cognitive processing would mediate sequentially (serial mediation), and c) if arousal and cognitive processing would behave differently with the inclusion of Eastern or Western trait mindfulness as a moderator (moderated mediation). Although parallel and serial mediation analyses did not reveal any significant findings, we found a significant moderated mediation model with Western mindfulness. Practical implications and limitations are discussed.