Impact of Tropical Climate on Selective Attention and Affect

Authors

Guillaume R. Coudevylle, University of French West IndiesFollow
Maria Popa-Roch, University of StrasbourgFollow
Stéphane Sinnapah, University of French West IndiesFollow
Olivier Hue, University of French West IndiesFollow
Nicolas Robin, University of French West IndiesFollow

Abstract

Heat has an impact on several aspects of human cognition but the effects of the tropical climate (i.e., hot and wet) have rarely been explored. The purpose of this study was to determine whether selective attention and affect are negatively impacted by the tropical climate. The study followed a within-participants design: participants responded to an affective scale (PANAS) and performed an attention task (d2 Test) in two experimental climate conditions (tropical vs. neutral) with a one-week interval between sessions. The results indicated that they had lower positive affect and selective attention in the tropical climate than in the neutral climate. However, there was no significant difference in the effect on negative affect between conditions. The impact of tropical climate on affects and selective attention is discussed.

Recommended Citation

Coudevylle, Guillaume R.; Popa-Roch, Maria; Sinnapah, Stéphane; Hue, Olivier; and Robin, Nicolas (2018) "Impact of Tropical Climate on Selective Attention and Affect," Journal of Human Performance in Extreme Environments: Vol. 14 : Iss. 1, Article 11.
DOI: 10.7771/2327-2937.1109
Available at: https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/jhpee/vol14/iss1/11