Proposed Study To Determine The Effects Of Heat On Immediate Recall Of

Proposed Study To Determine The Effects Of Heat On Immediate Recall Of Videotaped Lecture In College Students, Age 18 - 25 Proposed Study to Determine the Effects of Heat on Immediate Recall of Videotaped Lecture in College Students, Age 18 - 25 Dana Serrata The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College PSYC 3301.01 December 3, 1996 Dr. D. Freeberg Proposed Study to Determine the Effects of Heat on Immediate Recall of Videotaped Lecture in College Students, Age 18 - 25 Researchers have studied many aspects of temperature effects on human perception and cognition. Thermal stress, in the form of extreme heat, has been studied by examining the human response under this environmental condition (Hancock, 1986). In this way, researchers hope to gain a better understanding of how the human body and mind react to adverse environmental conditions and adapt to those circumstances or surroundings (Bell, 1981). Many studies of this type have focused on thermal stress and human performance in the work environment (Enander Bonnet, 1990; Meese, et al. 1984). Bonnet (1990) suggests that an elevated ambient temperature increases the stress of work. Researchers seem to agree that the core temperature of the body is closely tied to the perception of uncomfortable heat (or cold) (Bell, 1981; Bonnet, 1990; Enander Meese, et al. 1984; Hancock, 1986). Bell (1981) states that the core temperature of the body is 98.6? F, and that an elevation of this temperature above 11 3?F leads to death. The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) endorses a range of temperatures that may be considered ambient and provide thermal comfort for most people. This ambient range is from 76?F to 80?F with an average relative humidity of 45% (Rohles, 1973). Some researchers have manipulated the ambient temperature to induce heat stress while testing subjects on cognitive and mental tasks. Pepler and Warner (1968) had undergraduate students study a self-teaching programmed text during exposure to six different temperature levels ranging from 16.7 to 33.3?C at 45% relative humidity. These students worked at a faster rate at high and low temperatures, with a higher rate of error. Wyon (1979), who has studied the effects of heat stress on mental performance in children, found that maximum performance on a word memory test was reached at 26?C. Bell and Greene (1982) have discussed three theoretical approaches which have been applied to interpret the effects of thermal stress on performance of which attention is one; along with body temperature and arousal. In their theory regarding attention, Bell and Greene state that information overload occurs when the demand for attention exceeds the limited information processing capacity available. This situation would be more likely to occur when an environmental stressor is present. Therefore, according to their theory, task performance changes under thermal stress and promotes adaptability in the cognitive strategies used to complete the task (Cohen, et al. 1986). Unfortunately, little research has been conducted on the effects of thermal stress on cognitive and mental tasks. Most research has focused on vigilance and manual tasks which reflects the practical purpose of these studies, which have been geared toward the military and certain types of work environments (Enander & Hygge, 1990). However, the research which has been conducted suggests an adverse effect on cognitive functions by thermal stress. This study proposes that the thermal heat stress encountered in a classroom will negatively effect the immediate recall ability of undergraduate college students. A post-test on content recall of a videotaped lecture will be given to two groups, the experimental group will be assigned to the hot room and encounter the thermal stress, while the control group will be in an ambient temperature classroom. Low scores on the post-test for the thermally stressed group will indicate a possible effect of heat on recall ability. Method Participants Participants will be 60 volunteers, 30 male and 30 female, undergraduate students from introductory psychology courses at The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College. Participants will range in age from 18 to 25 years old, must be fluent in the English language (written and spoken), must have normal or corrected eyesight and hearing, and no chronic physical problems. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the ambient temperature or hot temperature classroom, with