Brain freeze: outdoor cold and indoor cognitive performance

Nikolai Cook; Anthony Heyes

doi:10.1016/j.jeem.2020.102318

Brain freeze: outdoor cold and indoor cognitive performance

Nikolai Cook^*
, Anthony Heyes

^*Corresponding author for this work

Economics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We present first evidence that outdoor cold temperatures negatively impact indoor cognitive performance. We use a within-subject design and a large-scale dataset of adults in an incentivized setting. The performance decrement is large despite the subjects working in a fully climate-controlled environment. Using secondary data, we find evidence of partial adaptation at the organizational, individual and biological levels. The results are interpreted in the context of climate models that observe and predict an increase in the frequency of very cold days in some locations (e.g. Chicago) and a decrease in others (e.g. Beijing).

Original language	English
Article number	102318
Journal	Journal of Environmental Economics and Management
Volume	101
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeem.2020.102318
Publication status	Published - May 2020

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Heyes is Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Environmental Economics at University of Ottawa and acknowledges funding from the CRC programme in support of this research.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Elsevier Inc.

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 13 Climate Action

Keywords

Adaptation
Climate change
Climate resilience
Cognitive productivity
Cold temperature

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Economics and Econometrics
Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law

Access to Document

10.1016/j.jeem.2020.102318

Cite this

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title = "Brain freeze: outdoor cold and indoor cognitive performance",

abstract = "We present first evidence that outdoor cold temperatures negatively impact indoor cognitive performance. We use a within-subject design and a large-scale dataset of adults in an incentivized setting. The performance decrement is large despite the subjects working in a fully climate-controlled environment. Using secondary data, we find evidence of partial adaptation at the organizational, individual and biological levels. The results are interpreted in the context of climate models that observe and predict an increase in the frequency of very cold days in some locations (e.g. Chicago) and a decrease in others (e.g. Beijing).",

keywords = "Adaptation, Climate change, Climate resilience, Cognitive productivity, Cold temperature",

author = "Nikolai Cook and Anthony Heyes",

note = "Funding Information: Heyes is Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Environmental Economics at University of Ottawa and acknowledges funding from the CRC programme in support of this research. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2020 Elsevier Inc.",

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AU - Heyes, Anthony

N1 - Funding Information: Heyes is Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Environmental Economics at University of Ottawa and acknowledges funding from the CRC programme in support of this research. Publisher Copyright: © 2020 Elsevier Inc.

PY - 2020/5

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N2 - We present first evidence that outdoor cold temperatures negatively impact indoor cognitive performance. We use a within-subject design and a large-scale dataset of adults in an incentivized setting. The performance decrement is large despite the subjects working in a fully climate-controlled environment. Using secondary data, we find evidence of partial adaptation at the organizational, individual and biological levels. The results are interpreted in the context of climate models that observe and predict an increase in the frequency of very cold days in some locations (e.g. Chicago) and a decrease in others (e.g. Beijing).

AB - We present first evidence that outdoor cold temperatures negatively impact indoor cognitive performance. We use a within-subject design and a large-scale dataset of adults in an incentivized setting. The performance decrement is large despite the subjects working in a fully climate-controlled environment. Using secondary data, we find evidence of partial adaptation at the organizational, individual and biological levels. The results are interpreted in the context of climate models that observe and predict an increase in the frequency of very cold days in some locations (e.g. Chicago) and a decrease in others (e.g. Beijing).

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KW - Climate change

KW - Climate resilience

KW - Cognitive productivity

KW - Cold temperature

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DO - 10.1016/j.jeem.2020.102318

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SN - 0095-0696

VL - 101

JO - Journal of Environmental Economics and Management

JF - Journal of Environmental Economics and Management

M1 - 102318

ER -

Brain freeze: outdoor cold and indoor cognitive performance

Abstract

Bibliographical note

UN SDGs

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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Cite this