Temperature and decisions: Evidence from 207,000 court cases

Anthony Heyes; Soodeh Saberian

doi:10.1257/APP.20170223

Temperature and decisions: Evidence from 207,000 court cases

Anthony Heyes, Soodeh Saberian^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Economics

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

38 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We analyze the impact of outdoor temperature on high-stakes decisions (immigration adjudications) made by professional decision- makers (US immigration judges). In our preferred specification, which includes spatial, temporal, and judge fixed effects, and controls for various potential confounders, a 10°F degree increase in case-day temperature reduces decisions favorable to the applicant by 6.55 percent. This is despite judgements being made indoors, "protected " by climate control. Results are consistent with established links from temperature to mood and risk appetite and have important implications for evaluating the influence of climate on "cognitive output." (JEL K37, K41, Q54)2019 copy American Economic Journal.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	238-265
Number of pages	28
Journal	American Economic Journal: Applied Economics
Volume	11
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1257/APP.20170223
Publication status	Published - 2019

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
* Heyes: Department of Economics, University of Ottawa, 120 University Private, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1N 6N5 (email: [email protected]); Saberian: PhD candidate, Department of Economics, University of Ottawa, 120 University Private, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1N 6N5 (email: [email protected]). Alexandre Mas was coeditor for this article. Heyes is Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Environmental Economics at University of Ottawa and part-time Professor of Economics at the University of Sussex. He acknowledges financial support from the CRC Program and from SSHRC under Insight Grant # 435-2012-472. We are grateful to Alberto Salvo, Ben Olken, Maya Papineau, Matthew Neidell, John List, Patrick Baylis, Pierre Brochu, Sandeep Kapur, Jason Garred, Abel Brodeur, two referees from this journal, and seminar participants at CREE 2017 at Ivey Business School at Western University, University of Exeter, University of Sussex, National University of Singapore, and McGill University for helpful conversations. Errors are ours.

Publisher Copyright:
© American Economic Journal: Applied Economics 2019.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Economics, Econometrics and Finance(all)

UN SDGs

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

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10.1257/APP.20170223

Cite this

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Temperature and decisions: Evidence from 207,000 court cases

Abstract

Bibliographical note

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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