Abstract:  As the latest psychological application in the field of poverty, psychology poverty is a new research approach to poverty through the lenses of psychology. The extant research on the psychology poverty is mainly focused on three areas, which are subjective well-being, mental health, and decision-making. And the poverty culture theory, scarcity theory, and ego depletion theory emphasize explanations on the mental mechanism of poverty by respectively viewing from the perspectives of poverty culture, scarcity mindset, as well as the resources of willpower. In order to break the vicious cycle of poverty and consequently escape poverty, in-depth investigations of the psychology of poverty should be conducted to further explore its mental and neurophysiological mechanisms, its localization, and its application of psychology in term of poverty relief.

Key words:  poverty, psychology of poverty, subject well-being, mental health, decision-making