The Psychological Lives of the Poor
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aer.p20161101.pdf
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Author(s)
Schilbach, Frank
Schofield, Heather
Mullainathan, Sendhil
Date Issued
May 2016
Journal
American Economic Review
Publisher
American Economic Association
Citation
Schilbach, Frank, Heather Schofield, and Sendhil Mullainathan. “The Psychological Lives of the Poor.” American Economic Review 106, no. 5 (May 2016): 435–440. © 2016 American Economic Association
Version
Final published version
Abstract
All individuals rely on a fundamental set of mental capacities and functions, or bandwidth, in their economic and non-economic lives. Yet, many factors associated with poverty, such as malnutrition, alcohol consumption, or sleep deprivation, may tax this capacity. Previous research has demonstrated that such taxes often significantly alter judgments, preferences, and decision-making. A more suggestive but growing body of evidence points toward potential effects on productivity and utility. Considering the lives of the poor through the lens of bandwidth may improve our understanding of potential causes and consequences of poverty.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Economics
Terms of Use
Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use.
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DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1257/AER.P20161101
