Temperature does not affect cognitive performance of men and women differently

Potential sex differences in thermal perception have been the subject of various investigations both in controlled experiments and in field studies. Nevertheless, potential sex differences in cognitive performance have not been investigated as thoroughly. This study aimed to address this gap by investigating possible sex differences in cognitive performance and the impact of ambient temperature on cognitive performance of individuals with similar characteristics. A total of 48 participants (50% female) took part in controlled experiments. Participants‘ activities during the experiments simulated office work. The experimental protocol consisted of exposing all participants to three different temperatures (20, 25, and 30 °C) to elicit a cool, neutral, or warm sensation, respectively. All other environmental parameters were kept constant, and other parameters likely to affect the results were controlled. Different tests were used to assess cognitive performance including a reasoning test and a multiplication test. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and linear mixed effects modelling. The results showed no significant effect of indoor temperature and/or sex on cognitive performance. The study also revealed that the indoor temperature did not affect cognitive performance differently in men and women with similar characteristics. Our results are in the context of more fundamental research and add to previous findings showing that cognitive performance can be maintained over a wide range of indoor temperatures.