Weather on the mind : an examination of the relationship between weather, heat, and cognition

Daily variability in cognition may seem harmless and even expected, but can, in fact, be a predictor of faster cognitive aging and other neurological and cognitive impairments, especially among older adults (Hultsch et al., 2002; Gamaldo & Allaire, 2016). Past research on the effects of temperature on cognition has shown that heat exposure can be detrimental to cognitive performance at both acute and chronic levels. As the effects of climate change on global temperature become increasingly apparent, it is important to examine whether temperature, among other weather factors, is a significant contributor to cognitive variability. Thus, I examined the extent to which daily weather variability affects daily cognitive variability and whether hotter temperatures have a more negative impact on cognition than non-hot temperatures. Using a between-group design, participants were asked to complete a self-report of their cognitive quality on the day before completing a backward digit span task. Weather data was collected up until 4:00 pm when the participant would come in, using the University of British Columbia weather station. Additionally, demographic information was collected, and self-reported mood (anxiety, depression, and loneliness) was measured as covariates. The results revealed that no weather factors predicted subjective or objective cognitive performance. Moreover, group-based comparisons revealed results that contradicted the predicted hypothesis. The “hot” temperature group was associated with fewer subjective cognitive problems compared to the “cold” and “median” temperature groups. Together, these findings provide mixed evidence: while temperature does not appear to be a factor in daily fluctuations in cognitive performance, heat does appear to change one’s subjective feelings about one's cognitive performance compared with non-hot conditions.