The effect of temperature on language complexity: Evidence from seven million parliamentary speeches

TY - JOUR

T1 - The effect of temperature on language complexity

T2 - Evidence from seven million parliamentary speeches

AU - Conte Keivabu, Risto

AU - Widmann, Tobias

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s)

PY - 2024/6/21

Y1 - 2024/6/21

N2 - Climate change carries important effects on human wellbeing and performance, and increasingly research is documenting the negative impacts of out-of-comfort temperatures on workplace performance. In this study, we investigate the plausibly causal effect of extreme temperatures, i.e., out-of-comfort, on language complexity among politicians, leveraging a fixed effects strategy. We analyze language complexity in over seven million parliamentary speeches across eight countries, connecting them with precise daily meteorological information. We find hot days reduce politicians’ language complexity, but not cold days. Focusing on one country, we explore marginal effects by age and gender, suggesting high temperatures significantly impact older politicians at lower thresholds. The findings propose that political rhetoric is not only driven by political circumstances and strategic concerns but also by physiological responses to external environmental factors. Overall, the study holds important implications on how climate change could affect human cognitive performance and the quality of political discourse.

AB - Climate change carries important effects on human wellbeing and performance, and increasingly research is documenting the negative impacts of out-of-comfort temperatures on workplace performance. In this study, we investigate the plausibly causal effect of extreme temperatures, i.e., out-of-comfort, on language complexity among politicians, leveraging a fixed effects strategy. We analyze language complexity in over seven million parliamentary speeches across eight countries, connecting them with precise daily meteorological information. We find hot days reduce politicians’ language complexity, but not cold days. Focusing on one country, we explore marginal effects by age and gender, suggesting high temperatures significantly impact older politicians at lower thresholds. The findings propose that political rhetoric is not only driven by political circumstances and strategic concerns but also by physiological responses to external environmental factors. Overall, the study holds important implications on how climate change could affect human cognitive performance and the quality of political discourse.

KW - Earth sciences

KW - Environmental science

KW - Linguistics

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85196500883&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.isci.2024.110106

DO - 10.1016/j.isci.2024.110106

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 39055607

AN - SCOPUS:85196500883

SN - 2589-0042

VL - 27

JO - iScience

JF - iScience

IS - 6

M1 - 110106

ER -