Self-Affirmation Techniques Help the Poor Overcome Poverty

UNICEF estimates that 22,000 children die every day due to poverty. However, for those suffering through dark times, a new study shows that remembering past successes can help struggling families improve brain function by several IQ points and even increase their willingness to seek help through aid services.

"This study shows that surprisingly simple acts of self-affirmation can improve the cognitive function and behavioral outcomes of people in poverty," University of British Columbia professor Jiaying Zhao and study co-author said, via a press release.

The main experiment involved took place in a New Jersey soup kitchen over a study period of two years. One a hundred and fifty study participants were asked to privately record a personal story via tape recorder before doing a variety of problem-solving tests.

When compared to participants in the control group, researchers found that those randomly assigned to "self-affirm" or in other words, recount a proud moment or past achievement, were more likely to perform dramatically better on study tests and had a ten-point increase in IQ. They were also more likely to seek local government aid services when in need of help than those in the control group.

Study authors note that this is the first study to prove that self-affirmation techniques can help improve test scores in poor and highly urbanized areas.

More information regarding the study can be found via the journal Psychological Science.