Brain, Behavior, and the Economy

Psychological science, once criticized for underestimating the impact of socioeconomic factors on psychological development and functioning, now plays a lead role in investigating how wealth and poverty affect thought, emotion, and action throughout our lives. Top researchers from the United States and Europe presented some of the most profound findings on cognition, brain, behavior, and development in socioeconomic contexts during the inaugural International Convention of Psychological Science (ICPS), held in March in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

In an integrative science symposium, researchers shared discoveries about the ways socioeconomic status affects brain development, decision making, subjective well-being, and more. A complete video of the session, divided by individual presentations in chapter format, is available on the APS YouTube page. Presenters include APS Fellows Martha J. Farah, University of Pennsylvania, and Eldar Shafir, Princeton University; psychological scientist Cynthia García Coll, Carlos Albizu University, San Juan, Puerto Rico; and sociologist Jürgen Schupp of the German Institute for Economic Research, DIW Berlin. Chairing the symposium was APS Fellow Daniel Cervone, University of Illinois at Chicago, who cochaired the ICPS program committee.

Segments:

1:16 – SES and Brain Development – Martha J. Farah

29:40 – Socioeconomic Contexts and Youth Development – Cynthia Garcia Coll

58:11 – Socioeconomic and Subject Aspects of Well-Being – Jurgen Schupp

1:28:45 – The Psychology of Scarcity and Its Consequences – Eldar Shafir

2:03:33 – Discussion