Poverty Can Lower Your I.Q., Studies Say

An international research group reported on the 29th in the online version of American magazine *Science* that they had found a certain causal relationship between poverty and mental ability. Exhausting one's energy in dealing with various economic problems consumes a great deal of brainpower, which leads to a drop in IQ test scores and hinders the brain from making correct decisions. This result may explain to some extent why it is so difficult to break the vicious cycle of poverty.

Zhao Jiaying, professor at University of British Columbia in Canada who led the study, told Xinhua News Agency reporters: "When people are preoccupied with financial problems, they will show a reduction in mental ability, the damage of which is similar to a drop of 13 points in an IQ test, or equivalent to a night of insomnia."

Zhao Jiaying gave an example: If there is a problem paying bills this month, people have no choice but to rack their brains for solutions, and therefore won't have the peace of mind to focus on other things such as work etc.. In addition, when people exhaust their energy repaying bills, there will not be much 'intellectual resources' left in the brain to receive education and vocational training, which are precisely the key to breaking the vicious cycle of poverty.