14 DAY TRIAL // Princeton University researchers argue that, aside from sparking all sorts of frustrations, poverty can act on an individual's intelligence. More precisely, it can lower it.
The specialists say that, as far as they can tell, poor people use up quite a lot of their mental resources and energy thinking about how to make ends meet.
The result is that they are left with very little brainpower that they can use to focus on other areas of their lives, Science News reports.
Ironically enough, by draining these people of their mental resources, poverty also makes it particularly difficult for them to make good decisions and find a way to shake off their financial woes.
“These pressures create a salient concern in the mind and draw mental resources to the problem itself. That means we are unable to focus on other things in life that need our attention,” study author Jiaying Zhao explains.
“Previous views of poverty have blamed poverty on personal failings, or an environment that is not conducive to success. We're arguing that the lack of financial resources itself can lead to impaired cognitive function. The very condition of not having enough can actually be a cause of poverty,” the specialist further argues.
Otherwise put, it all boils down to a vicious circle: poverty fosters behaviors and occupations that ultimately translate into brand-new financial issues. Then, the cycle repeats itself.
“So, if you live in poverty, you're more error prone and errors cost you more dearly – it's hard to find a way out,” researcher Eldar Shafir points out.
Jiaying Zhao and her fellow researchers theorize that, more often than not, people who spend most of their time thinking about (lack of) money experience a drop in their cognitive function that is the equivalent of a 13 points drop in their IQ.
It's almost like trying to think after not sleeping for an entire night, the scientists argue.