title: Temperature and aggression: effects on quarterly, yearly, and city rates of violent and nonviolent crime.
abstract: The hypothesized relation between uncomfortably hot temperatures and aggressive behavior was examined in two studies of violent and nonviolent crime. Data on rates of murder, rape, assault, robbery, burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft were gathered from archival sources. The first three crimes listed are violent; the latter four are less violent (labeled nonviolent). On the basis of previous research and theory (Anderson & Anderson, 1984), it was predicted that violent crimes would be more prevalent in the hotter quarters of the year and in hotter years. Furthermore, it was predicted that this temperature-crime relation would be stronger for violent than for nonviolent crime. Study 1 confirmed both predictions. Also, differences among cities in violent crime were predicted to be related to the hotness of cities; this effect was expected to be stronger for violent than for nonviolent crimes. Study 2 confirmed both predictions, even when effects of a variety of social, demographic, and economic variables were statistically removed. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
mesh_terms: D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000523:psychology; D002980:Climate; D003415:Crime; D006801:Humans; D012306:Risk; D012621:Seasons; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013696:Temperature; D014505:Urban Population; D014754:Violence