The effect of noise, music and silence on exam success and psychophysiological responses in athletes: Personality characteristics and the role of emotional intelligence

Purpose: In this study, psychophysiological responses to noise, music and silence conditions given during the exam were examined. In addition, the relationship between personality-emotional intelligence and psychophysiological responses were examined. Materials and Methods: A total of 90 athlete students from the Manisa Celal Bayar University Faculty of Sport Sciences, 45 females 45 males between the ages of 19-26, participated in the study. In the first place, short form Five Factor Personality Inventory and Schutte Emotional Intelligence Scale were applied to the participants. The participants were randomly assigned to the noise, music and silence groups. In the experimental condition, participants performed resting, reading, exam and recovery conditions, 4 minutes each, in noise, music and silence environments. Meanwhile, HRV and EDA records were taken. Findings: A decrease in HRV parameters was observed under noise condition. No significant changes were observed in HRV parameters in silence and music conditions. In the experiment, narcissism and emotional inconsistency were found to be related with HRV under noise conditions. Results: The results of the study provided evidence that narcissism and emotional inconsistency may affect performance in the presence of background noise while on a cognitive task. Key Words: Academic success in athletes, Heart rate variability, Personality, Emotional intelligence.