Do you read or study best in silence or in a place with background noise? Why?

Joanne's favorite answer:
I have two dogs, a cat, a wife(just one , at least until I can convince her to go mormon :) ) and an 18 mnth old. I live in the second biggest city in NE. There is almost ALWAYS background noise. On the few occasions it's totally quiet I just fall asleep.

Joanne's answer:
I do usually like to have music playing in the background while I'm doing work. The volume of the music depends on how much I need to really concentrate on what I'm doing - if its a somewhat mindless task (like data entry), I can (and pretty much need) it to be pretty loud so I don't get bored. But if the task is more complicated - or if I have to do it in a rush - I need it to be quiet or with no music at all so I can really concentrate. I guess to strictly answer the question of READING or STUDYING, those two things do need to be done in silence (or with the most quiet music) - but for all other work, I gotta have my Rhapsody account playing. Just ask my ex-labmate, Rene - she loves to complain about the Brittney Spears song on my playlist!

And the other answers!

1. I need a certain degree of background noise. Not so much that I get distracted. But, enough so my mind doesn't wander.

2. I study best in complete silence or quiet noise. (Rarely can I even fall asleep with the TV or radio on.) My mind is always going in a million different directions and if I have to focus on one particular thing I need there to be no other distractions.

3. I don't read very well, although I read whenever I can and my reading is getting better. As a result, I need it to be quite for I can concentrate on what it is I'm reading.

4. i used to study with the tv or radio on in college. ifelt it helped me concentrate more in that i had to drown out the other noise to focus on what i HAD todo. does that even make sense? i guess i just hate quiet..really eerie.

5. Silence, with no one around.

6. If I'm doing math or stats, I'm okay with background noise. If I'm writing, I prefer complete silence.

7. Absolutely silence is the answer. I guess I'm too easily distracted (or nosy however you want to put it). If something else is going on I want to see what it is or listen to what it is.

8. I prefer a little background noise, but nothing too distracting. I used to study to classical music because there were no words to get stuck in my head. I find that studying in silence only accentuates the distraction, absolute silence is foreign and uncomfortable to me, and then near silence just makes the occosaional noise that much more of a disctaction. As you can see, I don't like disctractions. So why do I keep checking my email for the QOTD?

9. Must have silence... I'm Captain Easily-Distracted! OOh, look at that bright, shiny object!

10. Silence. And I sleep better in silence as well. I don't like noise.

11. I like to read or study in quiet. I don't mind a little soft classical music or jazz - or even the sound of rustling, dishes being done, or tv being watched (softly) from another room. White noise like that is okay, but the quieter the better.

12.