Cognitive effects of clouds: Impact of cloud height and type in a virtual workplace

Natural environments are known to benefit cognition and creativity, yet little is understood about the role of specific atmospheric elements such as clouds. Beyond their meteorological functions, clouds shape the visual appearance of the sky and may act as natural overhead boundaries. Similar to how ceiling heights in indoor rooms have been shown to influence cognitive performance – with higher ceilings facilitating more abstract and creative thinking, and lower ceilings concrete thinking – clouds of different heights may elicit comparable effects outdoors. Therefore, the present study examines whether cloud height and aesthetic appeal influence working memory and creativity in a virtual reality (VR) office setting. In a within-subject design, 48 participants completed a working memory task (Digit Span Backwards, DSB) and a creativity task (Alternative Uses Task, AUT) across five cloud conditions: Cumulus, Stratocumulus, Cirrostratus, Cirrocumulus, and a control condition with no clouds. Linear mixed-effects models revealed no significant effects of cloud height or type on DSB performance. Tentative effects suggested that high-level clouds, particularly Cirrocumulus, may enhance creativity, though the effects did not survive correction for multiple comparisons. Overall, our findings indicate that cloud cover does not impair working memory and may, under certain conditions, support creativity. Understanding such influences could broaden perspectives on how everyday atmospheric features may shape cognition and affect.