ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the evidence that socioeconomic status (SES) differences in brain and cognition may be involved in academic achievement or educational success, which exhibit marked socioeconomic disparities. SES is a multidimensional construct that reflects many components of a child’s environment, including material and financial resources, education, power, and social prestige. SES is also an important predictor of a wide set of psychosocial, environmental, and community exposures, outcomes, and opportunities. In particular, SES is one of the most robust predictors of developmental outcomes for children and adolescents, including child health, socioemotional development, mental health, and school success, and even health in adulthood. Experimental and quasi-experimental analyses have found that changes to SES can improve student achievement and educational attainment. The aforementioned SES-related differences in neurocognitive measures may plausibly contribute to disparities in educational outcomes, either via mediation or a moderation.
