Effects of Cold Rainy Weather vs. Normal Warm Indoor Environment upon Cognitive Performances
Ana Catarina Rocha Mendes Fernando, Helder Manuel Arsénio Lopes, António Manuel Neves Vicente, João Filipe Pereira Nunes Prudente, Roland van den Tillaar

Abstract
In education we also have to consider the performances obtained and the conditions where they are obtained. ‘Preparing for life’ is about having knowledge and, sometimes, being able to use it in difficult conditions. Traditional classroom can be occasionally misguiding, but through sport it’s possible to understand phenomena that can be transferred to education. The aim of our study was to investigate the influence of cold and rain in outdoor sports on the cognitive performances of amateur hikers. Cognitive performance of 40 amateur hikers was tested (arithmetical operations test) in a comfortable surrounding with mild temperature and outdoors on a rainy and mildly windy day. Significant differences in the time to solve the test was found in different environments (p<0.0001), taking longer outdoors, as well as the number of faults (p<0.0001). We can conclude that even a mild change in weather environment can influence the cognitive performance.

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