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Childhood poverty, chronic stress, and young adult working memory: the protective role of self‐regulatory capacity
Author(s) -
Evans Gary W.,
FullerRowell Thomas E.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
developmental science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.801
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1467-7687
pISSN - 1363-755X
DOI - 10.1111/desc.12082
Subject(s) - working memory , psychology , poverty , developmental psychology , prefrontal cortex , chronic stress , young adult , child development , clinical psychology , cognition , psychiatry , neuroscience , economics , economic growth
Prior research shows that childhood poverty as well as chronic stress can damage children's executive functioning ( EF ) capacities, including working memory. However, it is also clear that not all children suffer the same degree of adverse consequences from risk exposure. We show that chronic stress early in life (ages 9–13) links childhood poverty from birth to age 13 to young adult working memory. However, 9‐year‐olds high in self‐regulatory capacity, assessed by a standard delay of gratification protocol, are protected from such insults. Self‐regulatory skills may afford the developing prefrontal cortex some protection from childhood poverty.