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I guess my problem with studies that show the other effects of poverty is that they seem to paint the poor as just hapless, irrational, creatures; subhuman and

I guess my problem with studies that show the other effects of poverty is that they seem to paint the poor as just hapless, irrational, creatures; subhuman and deserving of their plight since they can't reason their way out of it. And, who knows, they may be, but I'm going to have to see a lot more proof than what I've seen so far which tend to be of the vein 'well, look at their circumstances. You wouldn't make that decision that led them there. I wouldn't make that decision that led them there. Obviously they are not rational like you or me'. It is very strange that everyone in the economic model of the world is assumed to be rational but the poor.

icebraining 11y ago
While your concern is valid - patronizing and disrespecting the poor is rampant - I don't think that's a consequence of observing this effect; there's usually a prior belief. After all, the evidence is actually against the "subhuman" hypothesis - it shows that the reduced quality of the decisions is specifically a result of the environment, not an innate deficiency of some individuals. Also, the assumption that everyone is rational is no longer unquestionable, ever since behavioral economics started gaining prominence.