TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2019//
TI  - Diminishing cognitive capacities in an ever hotter world: evidence from an applicable power-law description
JO  - Human factors
A1  - López-Sánchez, José Ignacio
A1  - Hancock, P. A.
SP  - 906
EP  - 919
VL  - 61
IS  - 6
N2  - OBJECTIVE:: Modeling and evaluating a series of power law descriptions for boundary conditions of undiminished cognitive capacities under thermal stress. <br><br>BACKGROUND:: Thermal stress degrades cognition, but precisely which components are affected, and to what degree, has yet to be fully determined. With increasing global temperatures, this need is becoming urgent. Power-law distributions have proven their utility in describing differing natural mechanisms, including certain orders of human performance, but never as a rationalization of stress-altered states of attention. <br><br>METHOD:: From a survey of extant empirical data, absolute thresholds for thermal tolerance for varying forms of cognition were identified. These thresholds were then modeled using a rational power-law description. The implications of the veracity of that description were then identified and analyzed. <br><br>RESULTS:: Cognitive performance thresholds under thermal stress are advanced as power-law relationships, t = f(T) = c[(T - T<sub>ref</sub>)/T<sub>ref</sub>]<sup>-α</sup>. Coherent scaling parameters for diverse cognitive functionalities are specified that are consistent with increases in deep (core) body temperature. Therefore, scale invariance provides a "universal constant," viz, 20% detriment in mental performance per 10% increase in T deviation, from a comfortable reference temperature T<sub>ref</sub>. <br><br>CONCLUSION:: We know the thermal range within which humans can survive is quite narrow. The presented power-law descriptions imply that if making correct decisions is critical for our future existence, then our functional thermal limits could be much more restricted than previously thought. APPLICATION:: We provide our present findings, such that others can both assess and mitigate the effects of adverse thermal loads on cognition, in whatever human scenario they occur.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0018-7208
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0018720818816436
ID  - ref1
ER  -