Temperature and high-stakes cognitive performance: Evidence from the national college entrance examination in China

Joshua Graff Zivin, Yingquan Song, Qu Tang and Peng Zhang

Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 2020, vol. 104, issue C

Abstract: We provide the first nation-wide estimates of the effects of temperature on high-stakes cognitive performance in a developing country using data from the National College Entrance Examination (NCEE) in China. The NCEE is one of the most important institutions in China and affects millions of families. We find that a one-standard-deviation increase in temperature during the exam period within counties (2 °C/3.6 °F) decreases the total test score by 0.68%, or 5.83% of a standard deviation, with effects concentrated on the highest performing students. This suggests that temperature plays an important role in high-stakes cognitive performance and has potentially far-reaching impacts for the careers and lifetime earnings of students.

Keywords: Cognitive performance; Temperature; Climate change; Standardized test (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I23 I24 Q54 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (52)

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Working Paper: Temperature and High-Stakes Cognitive Performance: Evidence from the National College Entrance Examination in China (2018)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jeeman:v:104:y:2020:i:c:s0095069620300887

DOI: 10.1016/j.jeem.2020.102365

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