About this session

Friday, 1:20 PM - 2:50 PM

Perception of socioeconomic inequalities and its impact on developmental outcomes among children and adolescents

Global economic inequality has profound effects on child development. This symposium addresses this critically important topic by bringing together four papers that include multiple methods and age groups. There is striking heterogeneity in individuals’ perceptions of different instances of socioeconomic inequalities and inequities. Children’s and adolescents’ differential perceptions of different socioeconomic scenarios, such as their perception of deprivation in their family or of fairness in distributive justice, lead to variability in their developmental outcomes (e.g., Wagmiller Jr, 2015; Elenbaas, 2019). Although a considerable body of research on socioeconomic status and its impact on children’s development has emerged in recent decades, research on the impact of subjective perceptions of socioeconomic inequities and inequalities on developmental outcomes is less understood.

The aim of this symposium is to highlight the importance of understanding how subjective perceptions of socioeconomic situations can shape cognitive and social outcomes and inform social policy.

Paper 1 will discuss the perception of economic scarcity and its relation to children’s and adolescents’ cognitive development and academic outcomes. Paper 2 will discuss how children’s perception of social inequalities relates to their actions for social change in the context of inequalities affecting immigrants in the US. Paper 3 will discuss the impact of social class-based discrimination on adolescents’ academic achievement. Paper 4 will discuss children’s perceptions of helping those experiencing economic hardship and the role of parents as conduits of support. In congruence with the symposium's theme, all papers underscore how subjective socioeconomic perceptions shape developmental outcomes, informing equitable future social policies.

Paper #1
Title	The Impact of Perceived Financial Scarcity on Learning and Knowledge-building in Children and Adolescents
Presenting author	Ms. Jayantika Chakraborty, Clark University, United States

Paper #2
Title	Privileged children support social change when they view inequalities as illegitimate and personally relevant
Presenting author	Laura Elenbaas, Ph.D., Purdue University, United States

Paper #3
Title	Class is in session: Social class discrimination and academic achievement among adolescents
Presenting author	Zena R. Mello, Ph.D., San Francisco State University, United States

Paper #4
Title	Helping hands: Parent-child discussions of helping people experiencing economic hardship
Presenting author	Katherine M. Griffin, Ph.D, University of Notre Dame, United States

View all paper details

Session chair
Ms. Jayantika Chakraborty, Clark University, United States

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