Turning up the heat: The impact of indoor temperature on selected cognitive processes and the validity of self-report
Indoor climate interventions are often motivated from a worker comfort and productivity perspective. However, the relationship between indoor climate and human performance remains unclear. We assess the effect of indoor climate factors on human performance, focusing on the impact of indoor temperatu...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Cambridge University Press
2021-05-01
|
| Series: | Judgment and Decision Making |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://journal.sjdm.org/20/201013/jdm201013.pdf |
| _version_ | 1797765746678300672 |
|---|---|
| author | Martijn Stroom Nils Kok Martin Strobel Piet M. A. Eichholtz |
| author_facet | Martijn Stroom Nils Kok Martin Strobel Piet M. A. Eichholtz |
| author_sort | Martijn Stroom |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Indoor climate
interventions are often motivated from a worker comfort and productivity
perspective. However, the relationship between indoor climate and human
performance remains unclear. We assess the effect of indoor climate factors on
human performance, focusing on the impact of indoor temperature on decision
processes. Specifically, we expect heat to negatively influence higher
cognitive rational processes, forcing people to rely more on intuitive
shortcuts. In a laboratory setting, participants (N=257) were exposed to a
controlled physical environment with either a hot temperature (28° C) or a
neutral temperature (22° C) over a two-hour period, in which a battery of
validated tests were conducted. We find that heat exposure did not lead to a
difference in decision quality. We did find evidence for a strong gender
difference in self-report, such that only men expect that high temperature
leads to a significant decline in performance, which does in fact not
materialize. These results cast doubt on the validity of self-report as a proxy
for performance under different indoor climate conditions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T20:15:29Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-52e24717baf046cba2e5a672f5ec5fba |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1930-2975 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T20:15:29Z |
| publishDate | 2021-05-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Judgment and Decision Making |
| spelling | doaj.art-52e24717baf046cba2e5a672f5ec5fba2023-08-02T01:21:53ZengCambridge University PressJudgment and Decision Making1930-29752021-05-01163766795Turning up the heat: The impact of indoor temperature on selected cognitive processes and the validity of self-reportMartijn StroomNils KokMartin StrobelPiet M. A. EichholtzIndoor climate interventions are often motivated from a worker comfort and productivity perspective. However, the relationship between indoor climate and human performance remains unclear. We assess the effect of indoor climate factors on human performance, focusing on the impact of indoor temperature on decision processes. Specifically, we expect heat to negatively influence higher cognitive rational processes, forcing people to rely more on intuitive shortcuts. In a laboratory setting, participants (N=257) were exposed to a controlled physical environment with either a hot temperature (28° C) or a neutral temperature (22° C) over a two-hour period, in which a battery of validated tests were conducted. We find that heat exposure did not lead to a difference in decision quality. We did find evidence for a strong gender difference in self-report, such that only men expect that high temperature leads to a significant decline in performance, which does in fact not materialize. These results cast doubt on the validity of self-report as a proxy for performance under different indoor climate conditions.http://journal.sjdm.org/20/201013/jdm201013.pdfindoor climate heat performance decision quality heuristics biases risk-taking self-reportnakeywords |
| spellingShingle | Martijn Stroom Nils Kok Martin Strobel Piet M. A. Eichholtz Turning up the heat: The impact of indoor temperature on selected cognitive processes and the validity of self-report Judgment and Decision Making indoor climate heat performance decision quality heuristics biases risk-taking self-reportnakeywords |
| title | Turning up the heat:
The impact of indoor temperature on selected cognitive processes and the
validity of self-report |
| title_full | Turning up the heat:
The impact of indoor temperature on selected cognitive processes and the
validity of self-report |
| title_fullStr | Turning up the heat:
The impact of indoor temperature on selected cognitive processes and the
validity of self-report |
| title_full_unstemmed | Turning up the heat:
The impact of indoor temperature on selected cognitive processes and the
validity of self-report |
| title_short | Turning up the heat:
The impact of indoor temperature on selected cognitive processes and the
validity of self-report |
| title_sort | turning up the heat the impact of indoor temperature on selected cognitive processes and the validity of self report |
| topic | indoor climate heat performance decision quality heuristics biases risk-taking self-reportnakeywords |
| url | http://journal.sjdm.org/20/201013/jdm201013.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT martijnstroom turninguptheheattheimpactofindoortemperatureonselectedcognitiveprocessesandthevalidityofselfreport AT nilskok turninguptheheattheimpactofindoortemperatureonselectedcognitiveprocessesandthevalidityofselfreport AT martinstrobel turninguptheheattheimpactofindoortemperatureonselectedcognitiveprocessesandthevalidityofselfreport AT pietmaeichholtz turninguptheheattheimpactofindoortemperatureonselectedcognitiveprocessesandthevalidityofselfreport |