Temperature and low-stakes cognitive performance
This paper offers one of the first evidence in a developing country context that transitory exposure to high temperatures may disrupt low-stakes cognitive activities across a range of age cohorts. By matching eight years of repeated cognitive tests among all the participants in a nationally represen...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Artículo preliminar |
| Language: | Inglés |
| Published: |
Institute of Labor Economics
2023
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/129667 |
| _version_ | 1855516946796118016 |
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| author | Zhang, Xin Chen, Xi Zhang, Xiaobo |
| author_browse | Chen, Xi Zhang, Xiaobo Zhang, Xin |
| author_facet | Zhang, Xin Chen, Xi Zhang, Xiaobo |
| author_sort | Zhang, Xin |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | This paper offers one of the first evidence in a developing country context that transitory exposure to high temperatures may disrupt low-stakes cognitive activities across a range of age cohorts. By matching eight years of repeated cognitive tests among all the participants in a nationally representative longitudinal survey in China with weather data according to the exact time and geographic location of their assessment, we show that exposure to a temperature above 32 °C on the test date, relative to a moderate day within 22–24 °C, leads to a sizable decline in their math scores by 0.066 standard deviations (equivalent to 0.23 years of education). Also, the effect on the math test scores becomes more pronounced as people age, especially for males and the less educated. However, the test takers living in hotter regions or those with air conditioning installed on site are less vulnerable to extreme high temperatures, indicating the role of adaptation. |
| format | Artículo preliminar |
| id | CGSpace129667 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2023 |
| publishDateRange | 2023 |
| publishDateSort | 2023 |
| publisher | Institute of Labor Economics |
| publisherStr | Institute of Labor Economics |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace1296672024-11-07T09:36:54Z Temperature and low-stakes cognitive performance Zhang, Xin Chen, Xi Zhang, Xiaobo adaptation age age groups air conditioning climate climate change cohorts data data analysis developing countries mathematics vulnerability This paper offers one of the first evidence in a developing country context that transitory exposure to high temperatures may disrupt low-stakes cognitive activities across a range of age cohorts. By matching eight years of repeated cognitive tests among all the participants in a nationally representative longitudinal survey in China with weather data according to the exact time and geographic location of their assessment, we show that exposure to a temperature above 32 °C on the test date, relative to a moderate day within 22–24 °C, leads to a sizable decline in their math scores by 0.066 standard deviations (equivalent to 0.23 years of education). Also, the effect on the math test scores becomes more pronounced as people age, especially for males and the less educated. However, the test takers living in hotter regions or those with air conditioning installed on site are less vulnerable to extreme high temperatures, indicating the role of adaptation. 2023-02-01 2023-03-15T18:16:54Z 2023-03-15T18:16:54Z Working Paper https://hdl.handle.net/10568/129667 en Open Access Institute of Labor Economics Zhang, Xin; Chen, Xi; and Zhang, Xiaobo. 2023. Temperature and low-stakes cognitive performance. IZA Discussion Paper No. 15972. https://www.iza.org/publications/dp/15972/temperature-and-low-stakes-cognitive-performance |
| spellingShingle | adaptation age age groups air conditioning climate climate change cohorts data data analysis developing countries mathematics vulnerability Zhang, Xin Chen, Xi Zhang, Xiaobo Temperature and low-stakes cognitive performance |
| title | Temperature and low-stakes cognitive performance |
| title_full | Temperature and low-stakes cognitive performance |
| title_fullStr | Temperature and low-stakes cognitive performance |
| title_full_unstemmed | Temperature and low-stakes cognitive performance |
| title_short | Temperature and low-stakes cognitive performance |
| title_sort | temperature and low stakes cognitive performance |
| topic | adaptation age age groups air conditioning climate climate change cohorts data data analysis developing countries mathematics vulnerability |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/129667 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT zhangxin temperatureandlowstakescognitiveperformance AT chenxi temperatureandlowstakescognitiveperformance AT zhangxiaobo temperatureandlowstakescognitiveperformance |