Warmer or cooler: the influence of ambient temperature on complex choices

Temperature affects human cognition, emotion, and behavior in important ways, yet exactly how ambient temperature exerts its influences on complex product choices remains largely unknown. In this research, we examine how relatively warm versus cool temperatures, both within a comfortable range and commonly experienced, can affect people’s decision quality in complex choices. In a series of three experiments, we demonstrate that warm (vs. cool) temperatures prompt affective processing, which then leads to better performance in complex choices. Consumers and companies need to take ambient temperature into account to create optimal environments for complex decision-making.