INFLUENCIA DE LA CONDICIÓN SONORA Y NIVEL DE INTENSIDAD EN LA COMPRENSIÓN LECTORA EN ESTUDIANTES UNIVERSITARIOS

Abstract

This study examined the influence of sound condition and sound intensity level on reading comprehension among university students. A 2 x 3 factorial design was employed, with the independent variable “Sound Condition” classified into three categories: silence, instrumental music, and café sounds; and the independent variable “Sound Intensity Level” comprising three levels: 60 dBA, 70 dBA, and 80 dBA (with the silence condition maintained at 40–45 dBA). The sample consisted of 168 participants aged between 18 and 25 years, selected by convenience sampling at the Universidad de Especialidades Espíritu Santo (UEES). Participants completed a reading comprehension test based on thematic texts while being exposed to the different experimental conditions. ANOVA results indicated that the silence condition yielded significantly higher reading comprehension performance compared to the exposure to instrumental music and café sounds. Moreover, elevated sound intensity (80 dBA) was associated with an increase in the number of incorrect responses, whereas no significant differences were found between the 60 dBA and 70 dBA conditions. These findings suggest that both the type of sound and its intensity modulate attentional resource allocation, thereby affecting cognitive processing during reading tasks.