Theoretical and empirical perspectives on the link between poverty, parenting and children's outcomes

Abstract

In this paper we examine different channels through which poverty affects child outcomes, as well as the evidence regarding the magnitude of their impacts. We begin by discussing the family investment model, which highlights the constraints that poverty or lack of income pose on a family's ability to purchase goods or services that contribute to the child's overall development, and the family stress model, which emphasises the emotional toll that experiencing poverty can have on parents and (directly and indirectly) on children. We then devote special attention to a more recent perspective on the family stress model, originating at the intersection of cognitive and developmental psychology and behavioural economics, which posits that another pathway through which poverty-induced stress can affect family well-being is through the effect of poverty on parental cognitive functioning.