Scientists
have long struggled to explain why cool heads won't be able to prevail in a hotter
world and now, a team of researchers has come up with a model that could help
explain why.
Developed
by Paul van Lange of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam along with Maria I. Rinderu
and Brad Bushman, this new model, called CLASH (CLimate Aggression, and
Self-control in Humans), goes beyond the simple fact that hotter temperatures
seem to be linked to more aggressive behavior.
The
researchers believe that hot climates and less variation in seasonal
temperatures leads to a faster life strategy, less focus on the future, and
less self-control - all of which contribute to more aggression and violence.
"Climate shapes how people live, it affects the
culture in ways that we don't think about in our daily lives," said lead
author Van Lange. "We believe our model can help explain the impact of
climate on rates of violence in different parts of the world."
Many
studies have shown that levels of violence and aggression are higher in hot
climates. "But the two leading explanations of why that is so aren't
satisfactory", Bushman said. The General Aggression Model (which Bushman
helped develop) suggests hot temperatures make people uncomfortable and
irritated, which make them more aggressive. "But that doesn't explain more
extreme acts, such as murder," he said. Another explanation (Routine Activity
Theory) is that people are outdoors and interacting more with others when the
weather is warm, which leads to more opportunities for conflict. But that
doesn't explain why there's more violence when the temperature is 95 degrees F
than when it is 75 degrees F - even though people might be outside under both
circumstances.
The
CLASH model states that it is not just hotter temperatures that lead to more
violence - it is also climates that have less seasonal variation in
temperature. "Less variation in temperature, combined with heat, brings
some measure of consistency to daily life", Rinderu said. That means there
is less need to plan for large swings between warm and cold weather.
The result is a faster life strategy that isn't as concerned about the future
and leads to less need for self-control.
"Strong
seasonal variation in temperature affects culture in powerful ways. Planning in
agriculture, hoarding or simply preparing for cold winters shapes the culture
in many ways, often with people not even noticing it. But it does shape how
much a culture values time and self-control," Van Lange said. "If there
is less variation, you're freer to do what you want now, because you're not
preparing foods or chopping firewood or making winter clothes to get you
through the winter. You also may be more concerned with the immediate stress
that comes along with parasites and other risks of hot climates, such as
venomous animals."
People
living in these climates are oriented to the present rather than the future and
have a fast life strategy - they do things now. "We see evidence of a
faster life strategy in hotter
climates with less temperature variation - they are less strict about time,
they have less use of birth control, they have children earlier and more
often," Bushman said. With a faster life strategy and an orientation
toward the present, people have to practice less self-control, he said. That
can lead people to react more quickly with aggression and sometimes violence.
"We
believe CLASH can help account for differences in
aggression and violence both within and between countries around the
world," Van Lange said. "We think it provides a strong framework for
understanding the violence differences we see around the
world."
The
study appears in Behavioral and Brain Sciences.
Representative
Image
Source:
ANI
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