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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.
http://science.sciencemag.org/content/341/6149/976
(Score: 4, Interesting) by VLM on Tuesday November 06 2018, @12:47PM (6 children)
Lets try an experiment and compare IQ of college students who don't have enough money to buy beer vs recent grads who mere years later are buying houses with software dev pay.
Or even more fun, look at the majors that massively overproduce, my state graduates twice as many education degree kids as they have open school positions, so half the grads end up in low pay service like bartenderess or barista or waitress, compare the IQ and cognitive ability of the lucky half who get real jobs vs the unlucky half working at Starbucks.
The study seems to assume poverty and socioeconomic class is permanent much like race, which is correct if you look at the world primarily first by race and then by economics, but if you look at the world first by economics, then the assumption doesn't hold up as there's plenty of white people who were once, perhaps recently, poor, yet they've always been pretty smart.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Immerman on Tuesday November 06 2018, @03:19PM (3 children)
Or you could look at actual income statistics, and realize that social mobility has fallen steadily and dramatically, from 1950 when 70+% of Americans people were making more than their parents had, to well under 50% today. Let that sink in for a moment - despite a soaring GDP over most of that time, we're now in a situation where the majority of the American population is earning less than their parents did.
(Score: 4, Funny) by Azuma Hazuki on Tuesday November 06 2018, @04:02PM (1 child)
He doesn't know, or care, about any of that. Please understand he's not here to discuss in good faith; his post history shows he's basically just here to stir shit up.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 06 2018, @06:13PM
Very telling in how these types reacted to winning the election. Rhe last one they lost exploded with racism, going so far as to hang and burn effigies of obama. When they win? Still hateful pricks acting like they are being oppressed becausenpeople say mean things about "their guy". Not to mention the absolute moral failings of the entire GOP right now.
It is astounding.
(Score: 2) by VLM on Wednesday November 07 2018, @12:39PM
Agreed but whats the method of action? If it doesn't scale down to individuals and small groups, how does it work as an aggregate? That seems unlikely.
A major change since the 50s has been demographic replacement. Thats gonna cause a lot of turmoil for anyone not rich. Genocide is not cheap.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 06 2018, @06:48PM (1 child)
Next Up: How Bigotry Affects Critical Thinking
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 06 2018, @09:28PM
My go-to is always the hypcrisy of leftist science-denying regarding race being an objective determinant of IQ and the finger-pointing at climate-science deniers.