Temperature discomfort impairs everyday cognition: A pilot study using smartwatch-based ecological momentary assessment

The effects of extreme temperatures on cognition have been well documented; however, the relationship between thermal discomfort at typically experienced temperatures and everyday cognition has received minimal attention. Using a smartwatch-based ecological momentary assessment design, we examine whether thermal discomfort and distracting temperatures are sufficient to impair both objective (N-back task performance) and subjective (self-reported alertness) cognitive function. Results demonstrated that while alertness and performance were significantly related, thermal discomfort led to worse performance on the N-back task but was not associated with alertness. The presence of distracting temperatures was also associated with lower scores on the N-back task. Taken together, the results of this pilot study demonstrate that deviations from comfortable temperature conditions can impair executive attention and cognitive control in daily life. Further, they highlight the utility of using combined EMA surveys and cognitive tasks to examine the effects of the physical environment on cognitive performance.