Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Senior
Major
Psychology/ABA
Minor
Military Science
2nd Student Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Junior
2nd Student Major
Psychology
2nd Student Minor
Theatre
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Esther Malm, Phd
Presentation Format
Oral Presentation
Abstract/Description
Temperature and College Life
Absenteeism in college students can be caused by a variety of factors ranging from personal attitudes to environmental factors. Considering that, on average, American college students spend over $20,000 per semester on tuition, absenteeism is unlikely to be random (Barragan Torres, 2025). This study aims to explore how climate, mental health, socioeconomic status, and basic demographic information correlate with academic attendance, with an overall focus on outdoor temperature. Research observes that temperature is a key factor of absenteeism, determining that many students are incentivized to skip class if the temperature is warm enough for leisure activities or cold enough for physical discomfort (Xue, 2021). This information could be influenced by the physical origins of students, as well as the students' age. The same could be said for mental health, as studies show that students with a history of mental illness or current depressive symptoms are more likely to have negative academic outcomes during abnormal weather. Correlations between temperature and absenteeism may also be influenced by socioeconomic background, especially in students with housing disadvantages (Mccormack, 2021). Overall, it is hypothesized that female students will be more likely to be absent from class during cold temperatures compared to male students. There are various studies that examine these correlations, but most research contains significant gaps in generalizability due to small sample sizes, geographical differences, and temporal factors. The data collection for this study, which is ongoing with 89 participants so far, is being achieved via an online survey asking participants to report their average class attendance behaviors in relation to the aforementioned factors. For the purpose of this study, absenteeism is defined as a lack of physical presence within a classroom at the time of one's expected class. All participants are sampled from the Murray State University student population. The results of the study will be useful to researchers understanding about the factors of behavior in college classrooms. As we continue to gain a better understanding of this, it could help universities analyze how factors affect their students' attendance in class.
Keywords: Absenteeism, Class Attendance, Temperature, Mental Health, Socioeconomic Status, Gender
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Included in
Temperature and College Life
Temperature and College Life
Absenteeism in college students can be caused by a variety of factors ranging from personal attitudes to environmental factors. Considering that, on average, American college students spend over $20,000 per semester on tuition, absenteeism is unlikely to be random (Barragan Torres, 2025). This study aims to explore how climate, mental health, socioeconomic status, and basic demographic information correlate with academic attendance, with an overall focus on outdoor temperature. Research observes that temperature is a key factor of absenteeism, determining that many students are incentivized to skip class if the temperature is warm enough for leisure activities or cold enough for physical discomfort (Xue, 2021). This information could be influenced by the physical origins of students, as well as the students' age. The same could be said for mental health, as studies show that students with a history of mental illness or current depressive symptoms are more likely to have negative academic outcomes during abnormal weather. Correlations between temperature and absenteeism may also be influenced by socioeconomic background, especially in students with housing disadvantages (Mccormack, 2021). Overall, it is hypothesized that female students will be more likely to be absent from class during cold temperatures compared to male students. There are various studies that examine these correlations, but most research contains significant gaps in generalizability due to small sample sizes, geographical differences, and temporal factors. The data collection for this study, which is ongoing with 89 participants so far, is being achieved via an online survey asking participants to report their average class attendance behaviors in relation to the aforementioned factors. For the purpose of this study, absenteeism is defined as a lack of physical presence within a classroom at the time of one's expected class. All participants are sampled from the Murray State University student population. The results of the study will be useful to researchers understanding about the factors of behavior in college classrooms. As we continue to gain a better understanding of this, it could help universities analyze how factors affect their students' attendance in class.
Keywords: Absenteeism, Class Attendance, Temperature, Mental Health, Socioeconomic Status, Gender