Sweating the Test: The Impact of Heat in Higher Education

Last registered on June 29, 2026
View Trial History

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Sweating the Test: The Impact of Heat in Higher Education
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0019017
Initial registration date
June 26, 2026

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
June 29, 2026, 9:27 AM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

There is information in this trial unavailable to the public. Use the button below to request access.

Request Information

Primary Investigator

Name
Celina Högn
Affiliation
Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2026-06-29
End date
2027-06-01
Keywords
Behavior, Education
Additional Keywords
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
This supplementary survey complements a study on the effects of heat on academic performance by collecting information on students' time use, study behavior, housing conditions, perceived productivity, and adaptation to hot weather. The survey is administered in six waves throughout the summer examination period. As survey waves take place on different dates, participants are exposed to naturally occurring variation in weather conditions. Responses are linked to administrative examination records. Using these data, allows to examine how temperature affects students' behavior and time allocation and explore potential mechanisms linking heat to performance.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Högn, Celina. 2026. "Sweating the Test: The Impact of Heat in Higher Education." AEA RCT Registry. June 29. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.19017-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Intervention Start Date
2026-06-29
Intervention End Date
2026-08-09

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Self-reported measures of daily time use, study behavior, productivity, concentration, motivation, sleep, heat exposure, heat-related adaptation, and linked administrative examination grades.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
An online survey is conducted among students at a large public German university during the Summer Semester 2026. Students are invited to participate in one of six survey waves administered throughout the summer examination period. Survey invitations are sent in batches stratified by prior academic performance, enrollment cohort, gender, and field of study. As survey waves take place on different dates, participants are exposed to naturally occurring variation in daily weather conditions. The survey collects information on students' planned and realized daily time allocation across studying, sleeping, attending classes, working, and leisure activities. In addition, respondents report study motivation, concentration, perceived productivity, sleep quality, perceived heat exposure and heat-related physical strain, behavioral adaptations to hot weather (e.g., changing study location or study time), housing conditions, commuting time, employment, and access to cooling. Survey responses are linked to administrative examination records and local weather data to study how weather conditions are associated with students' behavior and academic outcomes.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Computer-based stratified randomization. Students are randomly assigned to one of six survey waves, stratified by prior academic performance, enrollment cohort, gender, and field of study.
Randomization Unit
Individual student. Students are randomly assigned to one of six survey invitation waves.
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
6 survey invitation waves, with approximately 1,100 invited students per wave and an expected participation rate of 30-40%.
Sample size: planned number of observations
Approximately 6,5k invited students. Expected response rate: 30-40%, corresponding to 2,000–2,600 completed surveys.
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
There are no predefined treatment arms as in a classical RCT. Students are randomly assigned to one of six survey waves, while exposure to hot or cold weather is determined by naturally occurring weather variation.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Exposure to hotter or cooler weather is determined by naturally occurring weather variation across survey waves. The effective power therefore depends on realized temperature variation and response rates across waves.
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
IRB Approval Date
IRB Approval Number
Analysis Plan