Brain freeze: outdoor cold and indoor cognitive performance

Nikolai Cook and Anthony Heyes

Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 2020, vol. 101, issue C

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: Climate change; Cold temperature; Cognitive productivity; Climate resilience; Adaptation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (23)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jeeman:v:101:y:2020:i:c:s0095069620300413

DOI: 10.1016/j.jeem.2020.102318

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