Hot Weather Causes Bad Temper… and Crime!

Created By RISC | 8 months ago

Last modified date : 8 months ago

When it’s hot you might seek shade or turn on an air conditioner or a fan. Heat makes us irritated, upset, or hot-headed – and it harms our productivity. ​
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But another side effect can be crime! ​

"The Impact of Temperature on Productivity and Labor Supply: Evidence from Indian Manufacturing" was conducted in 2015. Statistics from the textile and steel industries across 70,000 factories from 1998 to 2013 (15 years) showed that productivity dropped 4% for every 1°C increase in air temperature from 27°C. For every 1°C rise, absenteeism climbed 5% in the textile industry and 1% in the steel sector.

Hot weather has a big impact on productivity.​ But it also affects people's emotions, causing them to become irritated or hot-headed, which can lead to crime.​

A Finnish study, "The Association of Ambient Temperature and Violent Crime", in 2017 compared crime statistics and average temperatures in Finland in 1996-2013 (17 years). Platelet samples from 33 male criminal offenders were collected in 1996 and 1997. For every 2°C increase, the crime rate rises by 3%. The crime rate was highest between May and July. The platelet test findings revealed that levels of serotonin, which helps us relax and suppresses our anger and aggression, drop with high air temperatures. Ambient temperature is another component that influences people's conduct and aggression.​

The weather is getting hotter with climate change from greenhouse gas emissions. If we continue to live in the same way, the environment may deteriorate until we can’t live happily physically and emotionally. This summer, instead of turning on a fan or air conditioner, try adjusting the environment around your home by planting trees to provide shade. Living near trees can reduce not only heat but also aggression.​

Story by: Chirapa Horbanluekit, Communication Researcher, RISC ​

References:​
Somanathan, E. & Somanathan, Rohini & Sudarshan, Anant & Tewari, Meenu. (2015). The Impact of Temperature on Productivity and Labor Supply: Evidence from Indian Manufacturing. Journal of Political Economy. 129. 10.1086/713733. ​
Tiihonen, J., Halonen, P., Tiihonen, L. et al. The Association of Ambient Temperature and Violent Crime. Sci Rep 7, 6543 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-06720-z ​