Date of Graduation

5-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD)

Degree Level

Graduate

Department

Psychological Science

Advisor/Mentor

Lampinen, James M.

Committee Member

Shields, Grant

Second Committee Member

Judah, Matt

Third Committee Member

Leong, Josiah K.

Keywords

Cognition; Income; Memory; Socioeconomic Status; Stress

Abstract

Socioeconomic status is a complex psychological construct linked to a number of professional and personal barriers, including cognitive deficits. Throughout this dissertation, I seek to examine the mechanisms that link socioeconomic status and cognition. First, I explore potential mediators in the link between adolescent family income and cognition in adulthood, identifying education, stressful life events, inflammation, and family education expectations as significant mediators. Next, I examine the effects of writing-based stress manipulations on long-term memory and working memory, as these effects may mimic stress from financial worry. In doing so, I identify potential effects on working memory parameters. Finally, in a thorough literature review, I propose The Bucket Model of Socioeconomic Working Memory Disparities, which attributes socioeconomic deficits in working memory to increased worry, rumination, and social comparison. In doing so, I review socioeconomic barriers to success, summarize links between socioeconomic status and cognitive, and explore the role of working memory in these processes, along with potential influences of worry and rumination.

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