The effect of environmental variables on human performance is a long-standing concern of physical anthropologists. The primary objective of this research is to analyze the biological and behavioral factors that affect the ability of humans to work in a cold environment. The proposed research will be carried out in northern China as heavy laborers are paid by the unit of work accomplished, thus allowing easy quantification of work performance. Additionally, the Director of the Work Physiology Department of the Institute of Occupational Medicine is a co-PI on this project. The PIs will use standard and newly developed methods to measure the workers and their productivity in the laboratory and under field conditions. The results will be used to test models of the factors which enhance and limit human performance under cold conditions.
