Feeling a little impoverished AND mentally deficient of late? According to researchers from Harvard, Princeton and other universities, poverty might impact on a person?s ability to straight think. The international team subjected random shoppers to a series of IQ and impulse-control tests, and found that those who were told to imagine their car needed $1,500 worth of repairs experienced a drop in cognitive function.
Drops in IQ were also recorded in Indian farmers one month before (broke) and after harvest (rich). They concluded that financial stress can cause a drop of up to 13 IQ points and make the fiscally challenged more likely to make dumb decisions that ensure the cycle continues. [Source]
