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“Incentive hope” and the nature of impulsivity in low-socioeconomic-status individuals

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 March 2019

Francesca Walsh ,
Erik Cheries  and
Youngbin Kwak
Francesca Walsh
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences,University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003. fnwalsh@umass.eduecheries@umass.eduyoungbin@umass.eduhttp://kwaklab.com/
Erik Cheries
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences,University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003. fnwalsh@umass.eduecheries@umass.eduyoungbin@umass.eduhttp://kwaklab.com/
Youngbin Kwak
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences,University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003. fnwalsh@umass.eduecheries@umass.eduyoungbin@umass.eduhttp://kwaklab.com/
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Abstract

Low-income environments have been associated with greater levels of impulsive behavior, which contribute to the higher debt and obesity rates that further perpetuate current wealth and health disparities. In this commentary, we describe how this might be explained by an appeal to “incentive hope” and the motivational drive toward consumption triggered by the future uncertainty these groups face.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 42 , 2019 , e55
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Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2019 

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