Evaluation of the Thermal Environment Influence on Cognitive Performance in Students in Northeast Brazil

Abstract

The environment in which people live has a major influence on their activities. An environment that offers comfort is essential for better results. The feeling of comfort for each individual is a complicated arrangement of numerous factors, of which we can highlight thermal comfort. Based on this, the present study aimed to analyze the effects that thermal environments have on the cognitive performance of students from a university in Northeast Brazil. For this, a sample of engineering students went through five areas of reasoning tests: verbal, abstract, numerical, mechanical and spatial reasoning that are part of the reasoning test series (BPR-5) and aims to classify general cognitive performance. The tests were performed on three consecutive days with average dry bulb temperature: 20.07, 33.7 and 22.94 °C. In addition to the tests, the students answered a questionnaire about perception, assessment and thermal preference of the environment. With the data, it was possible to evaluate the influence that the thermal environment exerts on the cognitive performance of the students. It was found that considering the number of total hits, student’s performance was higher at 22.94 °C.