Is Noise Always Bad? Exploring the Effects of Ambient Noise on Creative Cognition on JSTOR
*moderate (70 dB) versus low (50 dB) level of ambient noise enhances
performance on creative tasks and increases the buying likelihood of
innovative products. *
Process measures reveal that a moderate (vs. low) level of noise
increases processing difficulty, inducing a higher construal level and
thus promoting abstract processing, which subsequently leads to higher
creativity
One exception in this line of research
is the finding that for highly creative
individuals, a moderate noise level may lead
to higher creative performance relative to
both low and high noise levels
Maybe relevant:
Von Neumann did some of his best work in noisy, chaotic environments, and once admonished his wife for preparing a quiet study for him to work in. He never used it, preferring the couple’s living room with its television playing loudly
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_von_Neumann#Early_career_and_private_life)