Research Study

Researchers designed an experiment to investigate the effects of background auditory distraction on reading comprehension. They recruited a sample of 25 undergraduate students to complete two computer-based reading comprehension tests under different environments:

• Condition A: Reading a standard text passage while instrumental jazz music is playing in the background.
• Condition B: Reading an equivalent standard text passage in complete silence.

The time taken (in seconds) to complete each comprehension test was measured. The order of the conditions was counterbalanced to minimize order effects.