Annual Research Review
Associations of socioeconomic status with cognitive function, language ability, and academic achievement in youth: a systematic review of mechanisms and protective factors
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21344490 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Divyangana Rakesh (0000-0002-8529-2086, Department of Psychology Harvard University Boston MA USA), Paris Anne Lee (Department of Psychology Harvard University Boston MA USA), Amruta Gaikwad (Department of Psychology Harvard University Boston MA USA), Katie A Mclaughlin (0000-0002-1362-2410, Department of Psychology Harvard University Boston MA USA) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 66 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 417-439 |
| Publication date | 2025-04-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0021-9630 • E-ISSN: 1469-7610 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/jcpp.14082 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 23 |
| References cited | 223 |
Low socioeconomic status (SES) is negatively associated with children's cognitive and academic performance, leading to long‐term educational and economic disparities. In particular, SES is a powerful predictor of executive function (EF), language ability, and academic achievement. Despite extensive research documenting SES‐related differences in these domains, our understanding of the mechanisms underlying these associations and factors that may mitigate these relationships is limited. This systematic review aimed to identify the mediators and moderators in the association of SES with EF, language ability, and academic achievement. Our synthesis revealed stress, support, stimulation, and broader contextual factors at the school‐ and neighborhood level to be important mediators and protective factors in these associations. In particular, cognitive stimulation mediated the association of SES with EF, language ability, and academic achievement. Educational expectations, classroom and school environment, and teacher–student relationships also played a key role in the association of SES with academic achievement. In addition, factors such as preschool attendance, home learning activities, and parental support buffered the association between low SES and lower cognitive and language outcomes. We discuss these findings in the context of interventions that may help to reduce SES‐related cognitive and educational disparities
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The Education-Health Gradient
Neighborhood Disadvantage
Effectiveness of Parent–Child Interaction Therapy for Maltreated Families
Environmental contributions to cognitive development
How social contexts support and shape language development☆
A review of neighborhood effects and early child development
Socioeconomic disparities in early language development in two Norwegian samples
How Wealth Inequality Shapes Our Future
Wealth and Child Development
Identifying Pathways Between Socioeconomic Status and Language Development
Linking Socioeconomic Status to the Academic Achievement of Mexican American Youth Through Parent Involvement in Education
Poverty moderates the association between gender and school dropout in South African adolescents
Parental Efficacy
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Association between adolescents' socioeconomic status and working memory updating functioning
Does executive function mediate SES and home quality associations with academic readiness
The role of household chaos in understanding relations between early poverty and children’s academic achievement
Chaos, poverty, and parenting
Neighborhood economic disadvantage and children's cognitive and social-emotional development
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A mediational model of the association between socioeconomic status and three-year-old language abilities
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Effects of Poverty on Mathematics and Reading Achievement of Young Adolescents
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The evolution of socio‐economic disparities in literacy skills from age 15 to age 27 in 20 countries
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Beyond Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status
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Understanding the positive role of neighborhood socioeconomic advantage in achievement
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Maternal scaffolding and home stimulation
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The Moderating Effect of Neighborhood Poverty on Preschool Effectiveness
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| Unique citing works | 23 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 23 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 22 |