A professor from the University of British Columbia finds that giving poor people self-worth could boost their ability to overcome poverty.
A recent study conducted by Jiaying Zhao suggests that remembering good times - such as past success - makes people living in poverty proactive about seeking help from crucial aid services and improves their brain functioning by several IQ points.
"This study shows that surprisingly simple acts of self-affirmation can improve the cognitive function and behavioral outcomes of people in poverty," Zhao said in a statement.
Her findings suggest that reconnecting the poor with feelings of self-worth reduces the powerful stigma and psychological barriers that make it harder for low-income individuals to make good decisions or access the very assistance services that can help them get back on their feet, according to a press release.
Her two-year study took place in a New Jersey soup kitchen.
In the study she asked nearly 150 people to privately record a personal story with a tape recorder before doing a variety of problem-solving tests.
Compared to a control group, participants randomly assigned to recount a proud moment or past achievement performed dramatically better on the tests, equivalent to a ten-point increase in IQ.
She found that they were also more likely to seek out information on aid services from the local government.
According to a press release, previous studies have successfully seen self-affirmation improve test scores in two other marginalized groups - African-American students and female math students .
Zhao's is the first study to show it in the poor, and the first to use oral self-affirmation techniques tailored to participants' low literacy levels.
"The study has important policy implications, including the potential to improve enrolment in government or charity assistance programs which are used by only a fraction of eligible participants," according to a press release.
The study will be published this month in Psychological Science.
