Research Suggests Poverty Impacts Neurobiology

Growing up in poverty can negatively impact developing brain regions. Jamie Hanson, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Pittsburgh, discusses studies that found low levels of volume in the hippocampi of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Low hippocampal volumes have been linked to behavioral problems. He also dives into stress exposure, which has a detrimental impact on learning and behavior, and how having a lower SES background often leads to more stressful situations.

This video is part of a longer session titled “Understanding the Neurobiological Impacts of Child Poverty: Implications for the Classroom and Beyond” presented at the National Science Teachers Association 2019 National Conference in St Louis, MO. See the entire talk here.