HYBRID EVENT
The effect of temperature on cognitive abilities and expressed sentiment: evidence from text data
Risto Conte Keivabu (MPIDR)
Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR), May 10, 2023
Abstract
The increase in extreme temperatures due to climate change is anticipated to affect various aspects of human life. One crucial aspect is human mental performance and health, which have implications for labor productivity and overall well-being. In this talk, I aim to contribute to the growing literature exploring the relationship between temperature, cognitive abilities, and expressed sentiment. Unlike previous research, I examine the impact of temperature at the individual level using geo-referenced text data combined with detailed meteorological information. Specifically, I present evidence from two studies. First, I present work investigating the influence of temperature on cognitive abilities and expressed sentiment using transcripts of political discourses in the United States and Germany. Also, the study uses available sociodemographic data on politicians to explore heterogeneous effects of heat and cold based on gender and age. Second, I present work that examines the impact of temperature on expressed sentiment and its variation by migration background using geotagged text data from Twitter. The studies demonstrate that extreme temperatures affect cognitive abilities and expressed sentiment, with heterogeneous impacts across the population. In conclusion, the use of individual-level geo-referenced textual data provides valuable insights into how predicted increases in future temperatures could influence multiple dimensions of human well-being.
About
Risto is a post-doc at Max Planck Institute of Demographic Research, Laboratory of Population Dynamics and Sustainable Well-Being. He obtained his PhD degree at the Department of Social and Political Sciences of the European University Institute (EUI) in Florence (Italy). He holds a BA degree in “Political Science: International politics and history” from the University of Padova (Italy) and an MA degree in “Comparative Public Policies and Welfare Studies” from the University of Southern Denmark (Denmark). His main research interests are climate change, socio-demographic inequalities and demography.