An isolation booth is a cabinet used to prevent a person or people from seeing or hearing certain events, usually for television programs or for blind testing of products. Its most visual use is on

game show A game show is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment (radio, television, internet, stage or other) where contestants compete for a reward. These programs can either be participatory or Let's Play, demonstrative and are typically directed b ...

s, where an isolation booth (either portable or built into the show's set) is in use to prevent a contestant from hearing their competitor's answers, or in the case of ''

Family Feud ''Family Feud'' is an American television game show created by Mark Goodson. It features two families who compete to name the most popular answers to survey questions in order to win cash and prizes. The show has had three separate runs, the ...

'', their fellow family member/friend's response to the "Fast Money" survey questions. Examples of the former include '' Twenty-One'', ''

Win Ben Stein's Money ''Win Ben Stein's Money'' is an American television game show created by Al Burton and Donnie Brainard that aired first-run episodes from July 28, 1997, to January 31, 2003, on Comedy Central. The show featured three contestants who competed to an ...

'', ''

50 Grand Slam ''50 Grand Slam'' is a game show from Ralph Andrews Productions that aired on NBC from October 4 to December 31, 1976. Tom Kennedy hosted the show, with John Harlan as the announcer. It premiered and ended on the same day as the show that preced ...

'', '' Raise the Roof'', '' The $64,000 Challenge'', ''

Whew! ''Whew!'' is an American television game show that aired on CBS from April 23, 1979, until May 30, 1980. It was hosted by Tom Kennedy and announced by Rod Roddy. Gameplay features contestants correcting "bloopers", factual statements in which one ...

'', ''

Solitary Solitary is the state of being alone or in solitude. The term may refer to: * shortened form of solitary confinement * Solitary animal, an animal that does not live with others in its species * Solitary but social, a type of social organization in ...

'' and '' Double Dare'' (the 1976 version entitled as such unrelated to the children's game show). Another use is to prevent the audience from shouting the answer to them, as seen on ''

The $64,000 Question ''The $64,000 Question'' was an American game show broadcast in primetime on CBS-TV from 1955 to 1958, which became embroiled in the 1950s quiz show scandals. Contestants answered general knowledge questions, earning money which doubled as the ...

'', ''

The $1,000,000 Chance of a Lifetime ''The $1,000,000 Chance of a Lifetime'' is an American game show which offered a $1 million ( annuitized) grand prize to winning contestants. The show aired in syndication from January 6, 1986, until May 22, 1987. The show was hosted by Jim Lang ...

'', and ''

Name That Tune ''Name That Tune'' is an American television music game show. Originally created and produced by orchestra conductor Harry Salter and his wife Roberta Semple Salter, the series features contestants competing to correctly identify songs being p ...

''. Further measures may be taken to prevent the occupant from seeing/hearing anything that occurs outside the booth, such as a

blindfold A blindfold (from Middle English ') is a garment, usually of cloth, tied to one's head to cover the human eye, eyes to disable the wearer's visual perception, sight. While a properly fitted blindfold prevents sight even if the eyes are open, a ...

sleep mask Sleep is a sedentary state of mind and body. It is characterized by altered consciousness, relatively inhibited sensory activity, reduced muscle activity and reduced interactions with surroundings. It is distinguished from wakefulness by a de ...

, or headphones that play music or are equipped with noise-cancelling technology. The isolation booth concept has been used for comic effect at times. One example is the "Cone of Silence" used as a

running gag A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling. Though they are similar, catchphrases are not ...

on the comedy series ''

Get Smart ''Get Smart'' is an American comedy television series parodying the secret agent genre that had become widely popular in the first half of the 1960s, with the release of the ''James Bond'' films. It was created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, an ...

''. This was a clear plastic device that fitted over the heads of Maxwell Smart and the Chief, intended to let them discuss sensitive issues without being overheard. However, it invariably malfunctioned to the point that the two could not hear each other at all without shouting. Another variation appeared on the game show '' Idiot Savants'', as the "Cylinder of Shush," a plastic tube lowered over the contestant's head that muffled the host's questions somewhat. Isolation booths are also frequently used in audio recordings, with non-reflective walls, lined with

acoustic foam Acoustic foam is an open celled foam used for acoustic treatment. It attenuates airbone sound waves, reducing their amplitude, for the purposes of noise reduction or noise control. The energy is dissipated as heat. Acoustic foam can be made in s ...

that eliminate potential reverberations.

Use as punishment

Some schools in the United Kingdom use "isolation booths" as a place of detention, being a small room in which a disruptive child is forced to sit alone and in silence, as part of a policy known as "occupy and ignore". In some cases, children have been punished in this manner for 22 hours in one week. In 2019, a child attempted suicide through overdosing, while confined to such a booth.

References

Acoustics Sound technology Game shows {{Tv-stub

Use as punishment

See also

References