Effects of acute exposure to increased levels of background industrial noise on cigarette smoking behavior.

Automated objective measures of cigarette smoking behavior were recorded while research subjects performed a visual monitoring monetary reinforced operant task. Subjects were required to wear headphones during all sessions. During baseline sessions, subjects were exposed to 60 decibels (dB) of background noise. During experimental sessions, subjects were exposed to 70, 80, or 90 dB of tape-recorded industrial noise via the headphones. Following stabilization of cigarette puffing across sessions, subjects were exposed to different dB levels of industrial noise acutely for one session. Results indicated that increasing dB levels of industrial noise exposure resulted in increased cigarette smoking behavior.