"Air Pollution and Adult Cognition: Evidence from Brain Training", La Nauze & Severnini 2021
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Gwern Branwen
Jun 19, 2021, 9:07:16 PM6/19/21
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"Air Pollution and Adult Cognition: Evidence from Brain Training", La
Nauze & Severnini 2021 https://www.nber.org/papers/w28785
> We exploit novel data from brain-training games to examine the impacts of air pollution on a comprehensive set of cognitive skills of adults. We find that exposure to particulate matter (PM2.5) impairs adult cognitive function, and that these effects are largest for those in prime working age. These results confirm a hypothesized mechanism for the impacts of air pollution on productivity. We also find that the cognitive effects are largest for new tasks and for those with low ability, suggesting that air pollution increases inequality in workforce productivity.
This is an interesting study using 4.6m scores from Lumosity
brain-game players to measure PM2.5 cognitive effects: large but
heterogeneous by task/age/experience - this may explain the
inconsistencies of previous air-pollution/cognition studies, where
some measures show large hits but others are entirely unaffected.
--
gwern
https://www.gwern.net
Nauze & Severnini 2021 https://www.nber.org/papers/w28785
> We exploit novel data from brain-training games to examine the impacts of air pollution on a comprehensive set of cognitive skills of adults. We find that exposure to particulate matter (PM2.5) impairs adult cognitive function, and that these effects are largest for those in prime working age. These results confirm a hypothesized mechanism for the impacts of air pollution on productivity. We also find that the cognitive effects are largest for new tasks and for those with low ability, suggesting that air pollution increases inequality in workforce productivity.
This is an interesting study using 4.6m scores from Lumosity
brain-game players to measure PM2.5 cognitive effects: large but
heterogeneous by task/age/experience - this may explain the
inconsistencies of previous air-pollution/cognition studies, where
some measures show large hits but others are entirely unaffected.
--
gwern
https://www.gwern.net
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