Ever try to have a conversation with a friend at a bar but find it difficult to talk or even hear yourself think because that Ke$ha song is on and the establishment has turned it up to 11? Well, there may be a reason the bartenders are aurally assaulting you, even when their bar is pretty much empty and there is no reason for this to be sonically drilled into your skull when you are just trying to have a happy hour beer. Ahem:
It had been found that environmental music was associated with an increase in alcohol consumption. The presence versus absence of music, high versus slow tempo and the different styles of environmental music is associated with different level of alcohol consumption.
According to the study ("Sound Level of Environmental Music and Drinking Behavior: A Field Experiment With Beer Drinkers"), music played at higher volumes led to increased, as well as faster, alcohol consumption. But where's the study showing how many people simply leave a bar when the music is too loud? [via Andrew Sullivan]
