Air conditioning has become (practically) a basic necessity item in recent months, thanks to the extreme heat wave that hit Brazil. After all, it is not easy to overcome temperatures of more than 40ºC and thermal sensations of 50ºC.
However, with the increased use of the appliance, the discussion about what would be the ideal temperature to use it has resurfaced. On social media, men and women were divided on the subject: they prefer a cold flat environment, while they want something more “refreshing”.
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Does biological gender influence how cold we like the air conditioning? An article published in the scientific journal Nature Climate Change in 2015 seems to have the answer.
Based on 38 thousand responses about temperature of the air conditioning
According to the text, 42% of those interviewed highlighted that the cold affected their work performance.
Another study, this time from 2019, signed by researchers from the USC Marshall School of Business in Los Angeles (USA), also analyzed this correlation. 500 people, including men and women, were analyzed and the influence of air conditioning temperature on work.
The performance of the ladies and gentlemen was better when the temperature was around 26ºC.
Could people's testosterone levels influence how hot they feel? Apparently, yes. This is said by endocrinologist Maria Fernanda Barca, a doctor who is part of the Brazilian Society of Endocrinology and Metabology (SBEM).
In an interview with the G1 portal, she pointed out that “with all this testosterone present in men, they will feel hotter and, consequently, will need the air conditioning temperature to be much colder”.
According to her, the hormone makes men produce more energy and, therefore, their bodies are warmer. Furthermore, she concluded, women generally feel more comfortable in temperatures up to 2.5°C warmer.
Graduated in Social Communication from the Federal University of Goiás. Passionate about digital media, pop culture, technology, politics and psychoanalysis.