Working in an open-plan office is bad for the brain and constant noise and lack of privacy disrupted brain activity and impaired concentration, a study shows.
Open plan offices were introduced in the 1950s to improve communication between colleagues. But scientists now claim they may be doing more harm than good.
The findings were revealed in The Secret Life of Buildings, a Channel 4 show which aired last night.
In the programme, presenter Tom Dyckhoff wore a cap which measured brainwaves while he attempted to work in a busy office. The results revealed that intense bursts of interruption .
Dr. Jack Lewis, a neuroscientist who carried out the test, said: "If you are just getting into some work and a phone goes off in the back ground it ruins what you are concentrating on. Even though you are not aware at the time, the brain responds to distractions."
The show also found that workers who were not allowed to add personal touches to desks and walls were less productive.
Dr Craig Knight, a psychologist at Exeter University, said: "If employees have been allowed to enrich the space themselves with their own things it can increase their wellbeing by 32 percent and their productivity by 15 percent."
He explained:"It is because they are able to engage with their surroundings, feel more comfortable and so concentrate."
Last year, University College London surveyed 20,000 UK professionals about their happiness with their office environment.
They found that 56 percent complained of lack of privacy, 55 percent about poor temperature and 60 percent about lack of quiet space. One in three was concerned about lack of daylight and noise levels. Many said they were "crammed" into their offices and felt like "battery hens" which, researchers said, could make them paranoid.
Other studies show that open plan offices could cause workers' ill health. It may raise employees' blood pressure and lead to stress, exhaustion and flu.




据英国《每日邮报》8日报道，一项研究表明，在开放式办公室里工作有损大脑，持续的噪音和缺乏隐私会干扰大脑活动，导致注意力不集中。

开放式办公室于上世纪50年代被引进，旨在促进同事间的交流，但如今，科学家称开放式办公室弊大于利。
昨晚，这一发现在英国四台《建筑的秘密》节目中播出。


节目中，主持人汤姆•迪克霍夫头戴一顶能测量脑电波的帽子，尝试在一间繁忙的办公室里工作。脑电波测量结果显示，他的注意力频繁地被打断。

设计该实验的神经学家杰克•刘易斯博士说："如果在当你正开始一项工作时电话铃声响起，你的注意力就会被分散。就算你当时没注意，大脑也会对干扰有所反应。"

研究还发现，禁止员工在桌子和墙上摆放私人物品也会降低其生产力。

埃克塞特大学心理学家克雷格•奈特说："如果员工获得许可，能用私人物品丰富自己的空间，他们的满意度会增加32%，生产力提高15%。"

他解释说："这是因为他们能够与环境融合，感觉更加舒服，因此注意力也更集中。"

英国伦敦大学学院去年曾调查2万名英国上班族，了解他们对办公环境的满意程度。

他们发现，56%的调查对象认为开放式办公环境缺乏隐私；55%的人抱怨办公室里的温度；60%的人感觉环境嘈杂。三分之一的人对缺乏日光和噪音水平高表示担忧。不少人说，与同事"挤"在办公室中，感觉就像是"机械化饲养的鸡"。研究人员表示，这种心理可能使他们患上妄想症。

其他研究也表明，开放式办公场所有损员工健康。可能导致员工血压升高、压力增大，疲劳和患上流感。

• working [´wə:kiŋ] a.工人的；劳动的 (初中英语单词)
• constant [´kɔnstənt] a.坚定的；坚贞的 (初中英语单词)
• concentration [,kɔnsən´treiʃən] n.集中，专心 (初中英语单词)
• communication [kə,mju:ni´keiʃən] n.通信；通讯联系 (初中英语单词)
• channel [´tʃænəl] n.海峡；航道；途径 (初中英语单词)
• interruption [intə´rʌpʃ(ə)n] n.停止，中断 (初中英语单词)
• daylight [´deilait] n.日光；黎明 (初中英语单词)
• pressure [´preʃə] n.压榨 vt.对...施压力 (初中英语单词)
• stress [stres] n.强调；压力 vt.强调 (初中英语单词)
• intense [in´tens] a.强烈的；紧张的 (高中英语单词)
• knight [nait] n.骑士；爵士 (高中英语单词)
• enrich [in´ritʃ] vt.使丰富；改进 (高中英语单词)
• concerned [kən´sə:nd] a.有关的；担心的 (高中英语单词)
• privacy [´praivəsi, -pri] n.隐退；独处；秘密 (英语四级单词)
• exhaustion [ig´zɔ:stʃən] n.用完；精疲力尽 (英语四级单词)
• psychologist [sai´kɔlədʒist] n.心理学家 (英语六级单词)