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VERIFY: Does A Cold Room Help You Think Better?

Can you think better in a cold room versus a hot one?

VERIFY QUESTION

If you're like the Good Morning Show's Meghann Mollerus, you're always cold. She usually has her fleece jacket or a sweater right off camera, so she can put it on during commercial breaks.

She remembers a time in high school when she asked her teacher to turn up the AC temperature, because it was freezing in the classroom. The teacher said no, explaining students tend to think better when it's cold!

Is that true?

VERIFY SOURCE

To VERIFY, we referenced the science publications Scientific American and Live Science, both of which source recent evolutionary and psychological studies.

VERIFY PROCESS

The Scientific American says it's true -- warmer temperatures can impede decision making of people who aren't acclimated to those conditions. It is harder for the body to cool down than warm up, so the body uses more energy cooling down. And thus, decision making is harder.

One study put participants in two rooms and asked them to proofread an article. One room was 77 degrees, and the other was 67 degrees. Participants in warm rooms did significantly worse proofreading the article than those in cool rooms.

Our second source, Live Science, cited a study that found people are more creative and more trusting when in warm rooms. When they're in cold rooms, they're more analytical. Another study asked participants to look at mug shots. People in cold rooms saw criminals as cold-blooded offenders whose crimes were pre-meditated. People in warm rooms saw them as hot-headed and impulsive.

VERIFY CONCLUSION

In conclusion, we verified yes, cold temperatures can help you think better and with more complexity. But, warm temperatures help you be more creative and trusting. Keep in mind, all of this is somewhat subjective, because people feel hot and cold at different temperatures. And, if our bodies are already acclimated to learning in those temperatures, there should be no fluctuation in cognitive ability.

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