ISSN 1671-3710
CN 11-4766/R

Advances in Psychological Science ›› 2020, Vol. 28 ›› Issue (5): 681-691.doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1042.2020.00681

• Conceptual Framework •     Next Articles

Psychological mechanisms and management strategies of behavioral poverty trap: Based on the dual perspectives of cognition and motivation

XU Fu-ming1, HUANG Long2,3(), ZHANG Hui4, XIANG Peng5(), LIU Teng-fei6, LI Ya-hong7   

  1. 1 School of Education Science, Nanning Normal University, Nanning 530299, China
    2 School of Humanities and Management, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu 341002, China
    3 School of Psychology, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, China
    4 School of Sociology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
    5 School of Law, Nanjing University of Finance & Economics, Nanjing 210023, China;
    6 School of Humanities and Management, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan 523808, China
    7 School of Education, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan 430074, China
  • Received:2019-09-09 Online:2020-04-26 Published:2020-03-27
  • Contact: Long HUANG,Peng XIANG E-mail:longhuang19@126.com;xiangxiaoke@163.com

Abstract:

This project aims to investigate psychological mechanisms of behavioral poverty trap in China, and hence put forward corresponding risk management strategies. For this purpose, we intend to draw on the new research paradigm in poverty study, which is initiated by behavioral economists, and recruit residents who live in extreme poor areas as participants. First, a framework concerning both the cognitive and motivational base of behavioral poverty trap is proposed as empirical and theoretical route of this project. Second, we analyze how cognitive outcomes of poverty psychologically and neurally affect subsequent decision behavior, as well as how both cognitive and motivational outcomes of poverty jointly influence subsequent decision behavior. In addition, the casual effect of psychological outcomes caused by poverty on subsequent decision behavior is empirically examined. Third, we further conduct randomized controlled experiments to understand the influence of cognitive changes caused by poverty on subsequent decision behavior, as well as field intervention studies to test the effect of self-identity changes caused by poverty on subsequent decision behavior. Based on these empirical researches, management strategies for poverty alleviation are discussed.

Key words: poverty, behavioral poverty trap, behavioral decision making, cognition, motivation

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