A new study published in the journal Applied Cognitive Psychology, looked at folks with extreme sensitivity to the sound of people chewing, coughing, or eating, also known as misophonia.
University of Georgia researchers found those who were bothered by these sounds had a harder time mastering and retaining information when they could hear a person chewing gum.
The study concludes, "It may be especially important for students with higher levels of misophonia to avoid studying in places where there are a lot of ‘trigger’ sounds, people chewing, coughing, clicking pens, or rustling papers.
When that’s unavoidable, some strategies suggested by other researchers include using earplugs, focusing on one’s own sounds, or using positive internal dialogue."