The 30th Xi Xian Forum on Income Distribution and Public Finance, co-organised by IIDPF and the School of Public Finance and Taxation, was successfully held on 2 December 2022 in Conference Room 119, Wenqin Building. As the keynote speaker of the 30th Hixian Forum, Associate Professor Chen Xi from Yale School of Public Health was invited to deliver a keynote speech on "Temperature and Low-stakes Cognitive Performance". The forum was hosted by Professor Ma Yuanyuan, Director of IIDPF's Centre for International Exchange and Cooperation, and was attended by over 100 students and faculty members, including Executive Director Professor Lu Yuanping and Research Fellow Dr Gao Sihan, both online and offline.
Whereas high temperatures, an environmental factor, may affect residents' performance in low-risk cognitive activities, previous studies have focused more on developed countries, Associate Professor Chen Xi explored how high temperatures affect the low-risk cognitive performance of residents in developing countries, based on a representative longitudinal survey in China that matched weather data with cognitive tests for all participants over eight years. The findings showed that maths performance decreased by 0.066 standard deviations when test temperatures were above 32°C, relative to moderate temperatures up to 22-24°C. Further analysis revealed that the negative effect of high temperature on maths exam performance increased with age, and that there was heterogeneity in this effect, with a greater impact on males and those with lower levels of education. In addition, Associate Professor Chen Xi noted that candidates who lived in hotter areas or had air conditioning installed on site were less susceptible to the effects of extreme heat, reflecting the role of acclimatisation.
Associate Professor Chen Xi delivered a fascinating talk to the audience and also stimulated in-depth thinking on the research topic. During the discussion session, faculty and students spoke enthusiastically and had an interactive exchange of views on the background of the study, research data and findings.