Why can't people in poverty switch to a 'positive mindset'?



For those who are suffering from poverty, 'I should switch to a positive mindset that leads to success, look to the future instead of the current situation, and work diligently with the goal of acquiring qualifications and improving skills.' Some people will think about it. But

Jennifer Sheehy-Skeffington , assistant professor of social psychology at the London School of Economics , explains why 'imposing a positive mindset on people suffering from poverty doesn't help.' ..

Why we shouldn't push a positive mindset on those in poverty | Psyche Ideas
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Research on poverty has made great strides in recent decades, and poverty, once a 'symbol of laziness,' is attributed to 'lack of social support' and various support is provided. became. According to Sheehy-Skeffington, many believe that a mindset of 'believing in their strength, looking to future goals, acting proactively, and leveraging social relationships' is key to success. He pointed out that various efforts have been made in the United States and the United Kingdom to instill this idea in the poor. However, attempts to change the mindset of these poor people have been unsuccessful.

Sheehy-Skeffington points out that the reason why attempts to change the mindset of the poor fail is due to the belief that 'human mindsets can be changed freely.' Many policy makers and philanthropists believe that 'everyone has the power to recognize the constraints and challenges they face and decide how to respond,' but in reality, everyone can have this power. Sheehy-Skeffington claims it's not.

Sheehy-Skeffington states that a successful mindset is neither an open-ended option nor a value-neutral way to enhance happiness. These mindsets are shaped by the social forces embedded in each living condition with material, social and idealistic dimensions, and are the mindsets that people living in financially comfortable situations can have. It seems that there is a difference in the mindset that people living in a poor environment can have.



From a social psychological point of view, material 'deficiency' and future 'instability' are the most important aspects of the surrounding environment for the poor. Having income this week does not mean that there will be next week, as low-income people are often unable to meet their material needs and the jobs they have are often volatile. In an experiment in which a 'simulation of managing a household budget' was conducted for middle-class people, those who managed a poor household budget felt that their power was weak, and 'the ability to see into the future' based on self-efficacy and

the location of control. It has also been confirmed that '' decreases.

Sheehy-Skeffington said that the change in cognition when placed in poverty is not a temporary stress or a defect in psychological processing, but 'a result of rational correction of sensation according to the environment.' Claim. Focusing on smoking cessation, for example, in situations where the work itself poses a health risk, efforts to find a new job have no effect, or many of the neighbors die young, 'future. The priority of the decision to quit smoking for the sake of health will be lowered. 'The potential rewards of quitting smoking in the future are no greater than the relief from daily chronic stress (obtained by smoking),' said Sheehy-Skeffington.

In some experiments , the tendency to prioritize future rewards over current rewards may be diminished among those who feel weak, environmental instability or uncertainty. I already know. In other words, these people are adapting to the feeling that they can control their own future, learning from the environment, and their thinking is corrected to prioritize the present things rather than the future.

In addition, low-income people often live in areas with many low-income earners for reasons such as rent, which also affects their sense of trust in others. In a community where many people live a comfortable life, they can reach out to each other when they are in trouble, and trusting others is a rational thought. However, in situations where many people are struggling to live, they cannot afford to help others and sometimes even rob someone around them of valuable resources. In such a situation, trusting others is not reasonably correct.

People with low socio-economic status are in a state of stress due to deficiency and instability, a sense of isolation that their communities are marginalized, a sense of self-efficacy and a decline in goal orientation. In these situations, the correct answer is not to make long-term plans or hopes to protect yourself from constant disappointment and focus your energy on not overlooking real threats.



Sheehy-Skeffington has a sense of control over behaviors and outcomes, self-control ability, mental ability to act toward long-term goals, and trust in others because the environment influences one's thinking. He pointed out that the power to do is not common in the low-income group.

'Socially marginalized people need not mindset coaching, but action to deal with material poverty, financial instability, and social truncation. Successful mindsets. Such behavior is overlooked when it is argued that is not tailored to a few privileged classes and is accessible and beneficial to everyone, 'Sheehy-Skeffington said. Said.

in Note, Posted by log1h_ik