Science. 2013 Aug 30;341(6149):976-80. doi: 10.1126/science.1238041.
Poverty impedes cognitive function.
Source
Department of Economics, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK.Abstract
The
poor often behave in less capable ways, which can further perpetuate
poverty. We hypothesize that poverty directly impedes cognitive function
and present two studies that test this hypothesis. First, we
experimentally induced thoughts about finances and found that this
reduces cognitive performance among poor but not in well-off
participants. Second, we examined the cognitive function of farmers over
the planting cycle. We found that the same farmer shows diminished
cognitive performance before harvest, when poor, as compared with after
harvest, when rich. This cannot be explained by differences in time
available, nutrition, or work effort. Nor can it be explained with
stress: Although farmers do show more stress before harvest, that does
not account for diminished cognitive performance. Instead, it appears
that poverty itself reduces cognitive capacity. We suggest that this is
because poverty-related concerns consume mental resources, leaving less
for other tasks. These data provide a previously unexamined perspective
and help explain a spectrum of behaviors among the poor. We discuss some
implications for poverty policy.
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