Feeling the Heat? How It Might Change How We Behave!
keep one’s cool: to stay calm and not get angry or upset
Does heat make people aggressive and antisocial? A group of scientists did an experiment to find out! They put students in two rooms. One room was a normal 68 degrees. Th other room was super hot at 86 degrees!
These students played a game on computers. In the game, they could erase points from other players. These points could be used after the game to get valuable prizes.
In the hot room, students were more aggressive choosing to take away points from others. One of the researchers called this behavior clearly antisocial. He said, “You’re really harming somebody and not benefiting yourself, other than the ‘pleasure’ of seeing other people do worse.”
According to an NPR report, in the US, heat correlates with “more ranting on social media, car honking, fights on sports fields and higher murder rates.”
As the world heats up because of climate change, research into how heat can affect us might motivate us to keep our cool, and be kind!
Sample sentences
1. It’s important to keep your cool when facing a difficult test or challenge.
2. When her brother teased her, instead of getting upset, she kept her cool.
3. In a long line at the store, it’s best to keep your cool and wait patiently.
Read More:
In a hot room, you’re told to play a vicious game. Will heat make you behave badly?