Preamble

Psychosocial Pathways to Alleviating Economic Hardship Among Low-Income Groups

Department of Psychology, Wuhan University; School of Psychology, Nanjing师范大学

This study proposes a dual-pathway intervention framework designed to alleviate the economic distress of low-income populations. By utilizing psychological training to stimulate intrinsic motivation while simultaneously leveraging environmental optimization to guide more informed economic decision-making, this scheme is characterized by its low cost and high scalability. The framework aims to help low-income individuals break free from the "vicious cycle of poverty," enhancing their capacity for autonomous development. Furthermore, it provides specific, actionable practical pathways for policy formulation and community assistance programs.

The objective of this paper is to integrate perspectives from psychology and behavioral economics to systematically construct a framework for improving the economic conditions of low-income groups, offering specific strategies tailored to the Chinese context. The first pathway focuses on stimulating endogenous developmental momentum by shifting attributional patterns, enhancing the sense of control, and utilizing role modeling. The second pathway aims to optimize economic decision-making by eliminating socio-ecological threats—such as through Conditional Cash Transfers (CCT)—optimizing decision frameworks, and strengthening self-regulation capabilities. By combining these approaches within the local Chinese context, this research provides a scientific and operational intervention plan to support the goal of common prosperity for low-income populations.

关键词

Analysis of Low-Income Groups

Abstract

This study examines the socio-economic characteristics and behavioral patterns of low-income groups. By utilizing machine learning and deep learning techniques, we analyze the structural factors contributing to income inequality and the effectiveness of current social safety nets. The findings suggest that targeted interventions and data-driven policy-making are essential for improving the livelihoods of these populations.

1. Introduction

The identification and support of low-income groups remain a central challenge in modern economic policy and social governance. As global economic structures shift toward digitalization and automation, the risk of marginalization for certain demographic segments has increased. Understanding the multi-dimensional nature of poverty—encompassing not only financial constraints but also limited access to education, healthcare, and digital resources—is critical for developing sustainable development goals.

2. Methodology

To analyze the dynamics of low-income populations, we employ a hybrid approach combining traditional statistical modeling with advanced machine learning algorithms.

2.1 Data Collection and Preprocessing

The dataset utilized in this research includes longitudinal household surveys and administrative records. We address data sparsity and noise through robust preprocessing techniques. Let the initial feature set be represented by $\mathcal{X} = {x_1, x_2, \dots, x_n}$, where each $x_i$ denotes a socio-economic indicator. To normalize the data, we apply the transformation:

$$z_i = \frac{x_i - \mu_i}{\sigma_i}$$

where $\mu_i$ and $\sigma_i$ are the mean and standard deviation of the feature $i$, respectively.

[TABLE:1]

2.2 Model Architecture

We implement a deep learning framework to predict income mobility. The model utilizes a multi-layer perceptron (MLP) structure to capture non-linear relationships between demographic variables and economic outcomes. The loss function is defined as:

$$\mathcal{L}(\theta) = \frac{1}{N} \sum_{i=1}^{N} (y_i - \hat{y}_i)^2 + \lambda |\theta|^2$$

where $y_i$ represents the actual income level, $\hat{y}_i$ is the predicted value, and $\lambda |\theta|^2$ serves as the regularization term to prevent overfitting.

3. Results and Discussion

Our analysis reveals that educational attainment and geographic location are the primary determinants of income

Social-Psychological Pathways alleviating economic difficulties Low-income Individuals Xiaoyong Yongyu Department psychology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China

2. School

Psychology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210097, China

Abstract

Psychology scientific study human cognition behavior. major trend current development involves addressing pressing societal issues providing theoretical explanations intervention strategies complex social problems (Walton Dweck, 2009). recent years, psychology societal level gained increasing recognition, demonstrating disciplinary significance promoting social development enhancing collective well-being. paper systematically explores distinctive contributions psychology behavioral economics understanding addressing developmental challenges faced low-income populations. constructs theoretical framework centered cognitive restructuring behavioral nudging, which seeks beyond purely material structural explanations.

Instead, examines psychological behavioral mechanisms underlying reproduction disadvantage proposes feasible intervention strategies. paper argues short-term decision-making patterns self-limiting behaviors observed among low-income individuals psychological defects, rather adaptive responses threatening uncertain social environments.

Building perspective, study identifies intervention pathways cognitive restructuring behavioral nudging outlines strategies provide psychological insights achieving sustainable internally driven poverty alleviation.

Keywords

income groups, upward mobility, nudge intervention

1 引言

With the timely realization of the first centenary goal, promoting common prosperity through high-quality development has become a critical agenda in the national development process of the new era. Against this grand backdrop, the key to solidly promoting common prosperity lies in benefiting low-income groups. This demographic has long faced multiple challenges, including economic hardship, health risks, and limited educational opportunities; they are the primary focus of social concern and support, as well as the group requiring prioritized assistance on the path toward common prosperity. The core task of this new stage is no longer merely solving the problem of food and clothing, but rather consolidating the achievements of poverty alleviation and promoting the sustainable upward mobility of low-income groups \cite{2022; 2021}. Therefore, exploring how to effectively stimulate the endogenous motivation of low-income groups and optimize their developmental decision-making has become an urgent and critical issue for theoretical and policy research.

A vast body of sociological and economic research has revealed the structural constraints faced by low-income groups in areas such as employment, health, and education \cite{Cannon 2019; Carvalho 2016; Hamilton}. However, these perspectives often rely on macro-level resource allocation and policy adjustments, which frequently fail to reach individual-level psychological and behavioral mechanisms, thereby limiting the sustainability of policy effects. In this context, psychology and behavioral economics offer unique value. Understanding the mechanisms behind the short-sighted decision-making of low-income groups requires moving beyond traditional "deficit models" toward a more insightful "adaptation perspective." While the deficit model suggests that the short-sighted behavior of low-income individuals stems from flaws in cognitive ability or personality traits \cite{Mullainathan Shafir, 2013}, the adaptation perspective argues that these seemingly "irrational" short-sighted behaviors are not inherent defects. Instead, they represent rational adaptive strategies employed by individuals to optimize survival within a socio-ecological environment characterized by resource scarcity, threats, and uncertainty \cite{2022; 2025; Sheehy-Skeffington, 2020; Fenneman 2022; Tomm, 2018}.

This adaptability, aimed at short-term survival, can lead to "maladaptation" in the dimension of long-term development. It traps individuals in a vicious cycle of "poverty-stress-short-sightedness," hindering upward mobility. This perspective not only explains how the predicament of poverty is psychologically reproduced but also provides actionable entry points for intervention. The unique value of psychological and behavioral perspectives lies in their transcendence of the "rational man" assumption in traditional economics, emphasizing how cognitive biases and socio-psychological factors amplify structural inequality. Previous research indicates that psychological poverty can influence decision-making independently of material poverty, making it harder for low-income individuals to accumulate human capital. Conversely, behavioral interventions such as "nudges" can reverse these biases and provide sustainable paths out of poverty by adjusting environmental cues at a low cost \cite{Haushofer Fehr}. Although many recent studies have made progress in theoretical integration and methodology, they still primarily draw on Western paradigms and often fail to fully adapt to China's unique institutional and cultural background \cite{Chiu 2020; 2023}. Such reliance may lead to poor intervention effectiveness or cultural misalignment. Building on international cutting-edge research \cite{Baird 2024; Handa Heijden Walton 2023; Yeager} and addressing the deficiencies in theoretical integration and localized adaptation in domestic research \cite{2015}, this paper seeks to bridge these gaps.

Building upon the adaptation perspective, this study constructs a "dual-pathway theoretical framework." The first pathway is a "nudge-based intervention" targeting the external environment; by redesigning the choice architecture, it directly reduces threat cues in the environment, thereby guiding better decision-making at the behavioral level and alleviating the cognitive and willpower burdens on the individual. The second pathway is a "psychological empowerment intervention" targeting internal psychological processes, which aims to help individuals break through the mindsets solidified by environmental stress through psychological empowerment.

Compared with existing research, the contribution of this paper lies in its systematic integration of psychological poverty theory with behavioral nudge theory for the first time. It proposes a dual-pathway intervention model that emphasizes stimulating endogenous motivation by internally changing the attribution patterns, sense of control, and cognitive functions of low-income groups. Simultaneously, it advocates for optimizing economic decision-making and self-regulation through the fine-tuning of environmental cues. By incorporating the Chinese local cultural context, this paper proposes culturally adaptive intervention strategies, providing a new psychological solution for achieving common prosperity among low-income groups.

2 心理赋能助力低收入群体心理脱贫

Long-term material deprivation is not merely an economic issue; it also fosters a unique psychological state through complex mechanisms. This state manifests as a series of negative cognitive, emotional, and behavioral patterns that accompany material poverty, exerting independent negative effects on the individual \cite{Haushofer 2023; Haushofer & Fehr, 2014}. The harms of psychological poverty are profound: it weakens the intrinsic motivation and beliefs of low-income groups to improve their living conditions, creating a vicious cycle. Furthermore, it impairs cognitive function and decision-making abilities, leading to short-sighted behavior and irrational choices that cause individuals to miss opportunities to escape poverty. It may also solidify a "culture of poverty" through intergenerational transmission, making poverty a difficult destiny to break \cite{Bellezza}. Consequently, psychological poverty has become a critical factor hindering the upward mobility of low-income populations.

The formation of psychological poverty is a complex, multi-factor, and multi-level process, the mechanisms of which can be understood through three core dimensions: social, cultural, and cognitive. Social class psychology emphasizes that a sense of low social status leads to a preference for external attribution, where poverty is viewed as the result of uncontrollable factors such as luck or birth, thereby reducing the motivation to exert effort \cite{Kraus, 2012}. This mechanism stems from identity, triggering low self-efficacy and avoidance behaviors. Meanwhile, poverty culture theory suggests that long-term resource scarcity gives rise to a unique set of conservative values, such as the pursuit of immediate gratification and a lack of long-term planning. These values are transmitted across generations, forming a solidified mindset that further reinforces the state of poverty \cite{Lewis, 1966}. From a cognitive science perspective, scarcity theory profoundly reveals the immediate impact of poverty on individual cognition. Resource tension induces a specific mindset where an individual's attention and cognitive resources (bandwidth) are consumed, focusing excessively on immediate survival pressures. This "tunnels" cognitive resources away from long-term planning, learning new skills, and rational decision-making \cite{Mullainathan & Shafir, 2013; Schofield & Venkataramani, 2021}. This increase in cognitive load significantly reduces working memory and executive function, making individuals more prone to short-sighted and sub-optimal choices, thus creating a vicious cycle \cite{Sergeyev}.

Although these theories reveal the complexity of psychological poverty from different perspectives, they share common ground. Social class psychology and poverty culture theory emphasize the shaping of psychological patterns by social structures and cultural environments, highlighting social attribution and intergenerational transmission mechanisms. In contrast, scarcity theory reveals the immediate effects of cognitive load and attention allocation in impoverished contexts, emphasizing the finiteness of psychological resources. Their commonality lies in the belief that material deprivation is not just an economic problem but a psychological mechanism that solidifies the state of poverty \cite{Haushofer & Fehr, 2014}. Taken together, the formation of psychological poverty involves both barriers to motivation and belief caused by social structures and cultural environments, as well as cognitive and decision-making failures caused by a scarcity mindset. To achieve "psychological poverty alleviation," the "Boost" approach proposed by \cite{Grüne-Yanoff & Hertwig (2016)} serves as an effective tool. This paper further posits that psychological empowerment—enhancing an individual's cognitive, motivational, and behavioral competencies to equip them with self-development capabilities—is an effective solution for helping low-income groups escape psychological poverty \cite{Hertwig & Grüne-Yanoff, 2017; Hertwig, 2025}. At an operational level, psychological empowerment originates from psychological interventions such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), emphasizing the transformation of negative cognitive frameworks \cite{2012}.

2.1 扶志：激发内生动力的策略

In the path of fostering ambition, psychological empowerment enhances endogenous motivation. Low-income groups often attribute their hardships to uncontrollable factors, which weakens their belief in personal development \cite{Kraus2012}. Addressing the mechanisms of external attribution and conservative values, psychological empowerment interventions can guide individuals to reinterpret their experiences and distinguish between structural constraints and the scope of personal agency. Through psychoeducational projects conducted in community workshops, participants learn psychological empowerment techniques to identify negative thoughts and challenge their validity—for example, by listing areas where personal effort remains controllable and replacing fatalistic views with adaptive beliefs such as, "Despite limited circumstances, I can achieve breakthroughs through skill acquisition." This process is grounded in self-affirmation theory, helping to restore internal attribution and enhance motivation.

One specific strategy is control-enhancement training. Sense of control refers to an individual's perceived mastery over events \cite{LachmanWeaver1998}. To counter the external attribution inherent in social class mechanisms, interventions can employ self-affirmation exercises where participants write about their core values to reinforce self-integrity and alleviate identity threats. Research indicates that this method significantly strengthens the sense of control and promotes motivation (2016). To adapt these methods for Chinese low-income groups, such as rural impoverished households, interventions can integrate indigenous cultural elements, such as Confucian concepts of self-improvement. Through group discussions and the sharing of "small success stories," the perceived sense of institutional barriers can be reduced. At the institutional level, resource accessibility can be nudged by simplifying welfare application processes and setting default options to help individuals perceive a sense of agency \cite{ThalerSunstein2008}. A longitudinal study targeting low-income earners demonstrated that such interventions can reduce negative attributions and improve career outcomes \cite{Beaman2012}. Another strategy involves role modeling. Addressing the intergenerational transmission of the "culture of poverty," where conservative values lead low-income individuals to hold pessimistic expectations regarding upward mobility, psychological empowerment utilizes success stories from individuals with similar backgrounds. By watching poverty alleviation documentaries or inviting local successful individuals to share their experiences, participants are guided to reflect:

"If they can do it, why can't I?"

Research in rural India shows that this method enhances vocational aspirations and the perception of opportunities \cite{Beaman2012}; similarly, experiments in Ethiopia confirmed that viewing success stories increased investment in education by 30% \cite{Dercon2014}. In the Chinese context, community lectures focusing on migrant workers can strengthen collective efficacy. Here, psychological empowerment emphasizes participants rewriting their personal narratives by incorporating elements from these role models. These strategies are low-cost, highly efficient, and suitable for large-scale interventions.

2.2 扶智：提升认知功能的策略

In the path of intellectual empowerment, cognitive functions are enhanced through psychological empowerment. A scarcity mindset often leads to narrowed attention and the depletion of executive functions, resulting in short-sighted decision-making (Mullainathan & Shafir, 2013). Addressing the mechanisms of this scarcity mindset, psychological empowerment interventions focus on internal restructuring to help individuals reallocate their attention and repair cognitive failures. By combining external nudges with internal mental training, these strategies ensure a comprehensive approach. External support strategies utilize cognitive nudges to simplify decision-making architectures. Since low-income groups may have lower educational attainment and are more susceptible to information overload, psychological empowerment reduces this burden by reconstructing how environments are interpreted. For instance, poverty alleviation policies employ concise language and default options, such as setting savings plans to automatic deduction to guide behavior (Ashraf et al., 2010). In response to scarcity mechanisms, this method teaches participants to view complex information as a manageable challenge. Research in Kenya has demonstrated that simplifying financial instruments can improve decision-making rationality by 20% (Dupas & Robinson, 2013). Furthermore, projects utilize personalized prompts to reinforce cognitive flexibility.

Internal capacity building relies on mental interventions such as mindfulness meditation. To address cognitive load, mindfulness training teaches individuals to reframe their perspective, shifting attention from immediate, pressing demands toward a more holistic balance (Zeidan et al., 2010). Specific forms include Zen meditation, Vipassana, or Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) (Segal et al., 2021). Brief daily exercises focusing on breathing can challenge existing cognitive patterns, thereby improving executive function and working memory while enhancing cognitive flexibility (Foale et al., 2024). Non-meditative interventions, such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), encourage individuals to accept the emotions associated with scarcity while remaining committed to long-term goals, thus restructuring decision-making patterns (2018). These interventions can also incorporate elements of Tai Chi or Qigong, and can be delivered via online courses for urban migrant workers, combined with group support to reduce social isolation. As a systematic psychological intervention strategy, psychological empowerment provides a novel perspective for addressing the "psychological poverty" of low-income groups. It transcends simple material aid by acting directly on the psychological roots of poverty. At the psychological level, empowerment helps individuals reshape their attributional patterns, enhance self-efficacy, and rebuild hope for the future. Through the intellectual dimension of psychological empowerment, damaged cognitive functions can be repaired and decision-making abilities improved. These two strategies are not isolated but rather complementary. Only when individuals possess stronger intrinsic motivation alongside clearer cognitive capacities can they achieve a true psychological transformation, thereby breaking the intergenerational cycle of poverty and achieving sustainable, endogenous poverty alleviation.

3 行为助推优化低收入群体经济决策

Economic Decision-Making Patterns in Low-Income Groups

The economic decision-making patterns of low-income groups largely exhibit a tendency toward "present bias"—that is, they tend to choose immediate, smaller rewards over delayed, larger rewards \cite{Meissner}. In behavioral science, this inclination is referred to as a high delay discounting rate, which implies that these individuals excessively discount the value of the future. This short-sighted decision-making is reflected in all aspects of life: they have lower savings rates, are more likely to incur debt for immediate consumption, and tend to reduce long-term investments in education and health to cope with current economic pressures.

The harms of this short-sighted decision-making pattern are persistent and profound. It not only hinders the accumulation of wealth for individuals and families, making it difficult to escape the poverty trap \cite{Cannon2019, Epper2020, Gonzalez-Arango2022}, but also creates a negative feedback loop. For example, to cover immediate medical expenses, they may forgo purchasing health insurance; however, once a major illness occurs, the family faces an even greater economic crisis. This short-sighted behavior ultimately solidifies the state of poverty, leaving these groups in a chronically vulnerable and unstable economic position \cite{Epper2020}.

Understanding the mechanisms behind the short-sighted decisions of low-income groups requires moving beyond traditional perspectives and adopting more insightful frameworks. Traditional views often suggest that the short-sighted behavior of low-income individuals is due to deficits in cognitive ability or personality traits \cite{Mullainathan&Shafir2013}. Such a viewpoint easily leads to the stigmatization of vulnerable groups. In contrast, modern behavioral science provides a more constructive explanation: the socio-ecological environment inhabited by low-income groups is filled with uncertainty and threat cues \cite{Sheehy-Skeffington2020}.

Faced with long-term resource scarcity, unstable living environments, and a future full of variables, their psychological and behavioral strategies undergo an adaptive shift to optimize limited energy reserves for immediate survival challenges \cite{Fenneman2022}. Therefore, short-sighted decision-making is not a defect, but rather an adaptation to an uncertain environment. When the future is highly uncertain and future rewards cannot be guaranteed, seizing the present is a rational survival strategy. This perception of threat triggers shifts in cognitive and self-regulatory strategies, leading to high-discount-rate decision patterns.

This perspective provides a clear direction for behavioral interventions (nudges) \cite{Ridder2022}. Rather than attempting to "fix" the individuals themselves, interventions should focus on changing the decision-making environment they inhabit, thereby shifting their adaptive behaviors toward directions more conducive to long-term development. This can be implemented through three core pathways: eliminating socio-ecological threats, optimizing cognitive frameworks, and enhancing self-regulatory capabilities.

3.1 消除社会生态威胁的助推策略

Intervention strategies aimed at eliminating socio-ecological threats directly target the mechanisms of resource scarcity and uncertainty. Low-income groups often perceive threats in a way that amplifies short-sightedness; however, "nudging" can mitigate this by stabilizing the environment. Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programs are a quintessential example of this approach. These programs provide financial support to impoverished families on the condition that they fulfill specific obligations, thereby promoting the accumulation of human capital. For instance, a project in Malawi demonstrated that such interventions help participants avoid decision-making errors \cite{Baird 2024}, while a national-level intervention in Mexico successfully increased investment in education.

Research by \cite{Schultz, 2004} and a study in Colombia found that delayed incentive structures are most effective at encouraging long-term behavior \cite{Barrera-Osorio 2011}. Pilot programs in China have similarly shown that this method significantly increases educational investment among impoverished families \cite{2020}. In Spain, combining cash transfers with nudges and information interventions improved food choices among vulnerable families by 8.43%, outperforming pure cash transfers and demonstrating the cost-effectiveness of non-monetary nudges in economic decision-making. This strategy is highly operational; for example, designing default enrollment mechanisms ensures that low-income individuals, such as the rural poor, experience reduced uncertainty \cite{2025}. Furthermore, enhancing community trust can alleviate perceived threats. In high-trust environments, the discount rates of low-income individuals decrease \cite{Farah Hook, 2017; Jachimowicz 2017}. Nudging can be achieved through social norm prompts, such as informing residents that their neighbors have already participated in savings programs, thereby triggering a positive conformity effect.

A 2024 review of behavioral public policy noted that such social pathways must account for group heterogeneity; specifically, marginalized groups tend to respond more strongly to trust-based nudges, though care must be taken to avoid adverse effects such as increased stigmatization \cite{Banerjee Veltri, 2024}. In China, these strategies can be integrated into existing projects by utilizing village-level workshops to build trust networks, thereby optimizing decision-making behaviors related to health and financial planning.

3.2 提升长远回报主观价值助推策略

Cognitive strategies target the cognitive shifts triggered by perceived threats to enhance the subjective value of long-term rewards. Under adaptive mechanisms, perceived uncertainty tends to devalue future gains; however, this can be mitigated through frame manipulation \cite{Koffarnus_2013}. For instance, the "delay frame" postpones decision-making time, thereby increasing patience \cite{Fishbach_2013}. Furthermore, the framing of monetary representation is critical.

The "explicit zero frame" highlights the zero-gain nature of immediate choices regarding future outcomes (e.g., choosing "$100$ today and $0$ in three weeks" versus "$0$ today and $120$ in three weeks") \cite{Dang_2021}. These low-cost adjustments are highly applicable to the financial sector; for example, default displays of long-term profit calculators can help low-income individuals restructure their perception of value. Recent evidence further reinforces the efficacy of this approach.

Research on inequality and nudging conducted in 2024 indicates that low-income individuals exhibit strong heterogeneous responses to framing effects. In the context of educational investment, "growth mind-set frames"—which emphasize the returns on effort—can improve participation rates, though they require cultural adaptation to avoid inefficiency \cite{Hall_Hernandez_2024}. A systematic review points out that cognitive nudges are effective in health-related economic decision-making; for example, setting healthy food as the default option increases nutritional investment in low-income families \cite{Ghai_Banerjee_2024}. In practical applications, localized frameworks—such as WeChat mini-programs using themes like "accumulating wealth for future generations"—can be developed to optimize saving decisions among migrant workers. In the promotion of poverty alleviation loans and vocational training programs, it is essential to explicitly inform participants of the long-term opportunity costs associated with immediate gratification, such as the subsequent inability to achieve higher income levels.

3.3 降低等待成本的助推策略

Reducing the cost of waiting can enhance patience and promote forward-looking choices. Restlessness during waiting periods and the presence of immediate temptations often undermine delayed gratification. Consequently, creating an environment that facilitates distraction serves as a nudge in its own right. In scenarios requiring waiting—such as interviews or queuing—introducing sources of distraction (e.g., information, entertainment, or social spaces) or reducing time-related cues can lower waiting anxiety and improve patience. Empirical evidence suggests that reducing time monitoring and the emotional costs associated with waiting facilitates delayed gratification.

Furthermore, utilizing reminder mechanisms (such as SMS reminders for repayment dates) and automation tools (such as setting up automatic repayments or savings) can transform behaviors that typically require the continuous depletion of willpower into one-time settings. This significantly liberates valuable self-regulatory resources, allowing them to be redirected toward more important life planning \cite{Morelli2022}. For instance, combining default automatic savings with short-term incentives has been shown to improve participation in retirement plans among low-income individuals \cite{ThalerBenartzi2004}. Similarly, mindfulness reminders have been found to reduce impulsive consumption, making them particularly applicable in contexts of poverty \cite{Volpp2025}. Pre-commitment strategies are equally effective due to a fundamental characteristic of human decision-making: we tend to be patient regarding the distant future (e.g., choosing $\$110$ in 31 weeks over $\$100$ in 30 weeks), but our patience drops sharply as temptation nears (e.g., choosing $\$100$ today over $\$110$ tomorrow). Strategies leverage this phenomenon by allowing employees to decide at the beginning of the year whether to automatically deposit a portion of their year-end bonus into a pension account \cite{Scholten2019}. Because the decision is made long before the bonus is received, individuals are more likely to make rational, long-term plans, effectively bypassing the impulse to spend when faced with a large sum of cash at the end of the year.

In summary, behavioral nudges provide a low-cost, high-efficiency solution for optimizing the economic decision-making of low-income groups. This approach moves beyond traditional moralizing—such as the "poverty alleviation starts with the will" rhetoric—and instead adopts a scientific perspective to guide individuals toward better choices by altering the decision-making context. At the macro level, conditional cash transfers and community trust-building can eliminate external threats, creating a stable and predictable future for low-income groups and fundamentally reducing the drivers of short-sighted behavior. At the micro level, cognitive interventions (such as delay framing and explicit-zero framing) can adjust individual decision-making cognition at a low cost, allowing for a clearer perception of the value of long-term rewards. At the individual level, self-regulation strategies, pre-commitment, and commitment mechanisms can enhance the ability to resist immediate temptation. These strategies are not isolated but rather complementary. Through systematic behavioral nudge interventions, we can help low-income groups establish a more forward-looking economic decision-making pattern, thereby breaking the vicious cycle of poverty and ultimately achieving sustainable, endogenous common prosperity.

4 小结及展望

Psychology is a scientific discipline dedicated to the study of human mind and behavior. One of its current developmental trends is an active response to major social issues, attempting to provide theoretical explanations and intervention strategies for complex social problems \cite{Walton, Dweck}. In recent years, the role of psychology at the societal level has received increasing attention, particularly regarding its significant academic value in promoting social development and improving group well-being. This paper systematically reviews the unique value of psychology and behavioral economics in understanding and intervening in the developmental dilemmas of low-income groups. We propose a core theoretical framework that transcends single material or structural explanations to deeply explore the reproduction mechanisms of disadvantage at the individual psychological and behavioral levels, while offering actionable intervention strategies. This paper argues that the short-sighted decision-making and self-limiting behaviors of low-income groups do not stem from inherent traits, but are rather adaptive responses to a socio-ecological environment filled with threats and uncertainty. Building on this premise, this paper focuses on two major intervention paths and their specific strategies, providing psychological insights for achieving sustainable and endogenous poverty alleviation.

The core contribution of this paper lies in the construction of a multi-level intervention framework that examines the psychological poverty and economic decision-making of low-income groups through the dynamic lens of social psychology. Within the context of psychological poverty alleviation, this paper emphasizes "psychological empowerment" as a key tool for breaking the cycle of poverty. By stimulating endogenous motivation (fostering aspirations) and enhancing cognitive functions, psychological empowerment directly targets mechanisms such as external attribution, conservative values, and the scarcity mindset. Specifically, control-enhancement training and role-modeling strategies help individuals shift their mindsets and raise vocational aspirations \cite{Beaman2012}; meanwhile, mindfulness meditation and cognitive nudges repair cognitive failures, improving executive function and working memory \cite{Zeidan, Segal2021}. In the behavioral nudge module, this paper focuses on optimizing economic decision-making. We adopt an adaptation perspective to explain short-sighted behavior and propose a three-path strategy: eliminating socio-ecological threats, increasing the value of long-term rewards, and reducing waiting costs. Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programs, such as those in Malawi and Mexico, reduce psychological burdens by stabilizing the environment, thereby increasing investment in education \cite{Baird2024}. Cognitive framing manipulations, such as the "explicit zero" frame, can adjust time discount rates at a low cost \cite{Dang2021}. Furthermore, self-regulation tools, such as pre-commitment, help individuals avoid immediate temptations and enhance patience \cite{Scholten2019}. These strategies integrate principles of behavioral economics, emphasizing the adjustment of environmental cues rather than coercive change, making them highly applicable to China's rural revitalization context. The unique value of this integrated framework lies in its sequence: psychological alleviation serves as the starting point to reconstruct the cognitive foundation, while behavioral nudges act as a bridge to optimize the decision-making process, ultimately achieving capacity development. This logic avoids the limitations of a single perspective by combining passive structural dilemmas with active behavioral biases (such as short-sighted decision-making), providing a complete chain from mechanistic explanation to intervention strategy.

This framework provides a clear guide for policymakers and practitioners. In the context of China's transition from targeted poverty alleviation to rural revitalization, psychological empowerment can be embedded into community workshops—for example, by disseminating role-model stories to enhance the motivation of migrant workers \cite{Dercon2014}. Behavioral nudges are applicable to the financial and education sectors; for instance, default automatic savings can reduce debt \cite{Ashraf2010}, and conditional cash transfers combined with reminders can improve health investments \cite{Mora2025}. These low-cost strategies are suitable for large-scale implementation. Despite the significant implications of this framework, several challenges remain in practice and research. First is the issue of heterogeneity: the psychological and behavioral patterns of low-income groups vary by region, age, and education level. The scarcity threats faced by urban migrant workers may differ from those of rural impoverished households. Future research needs to employ finer analyses to explore differences in psychological mechanisms across sub-groups and design more targeted intervention schemes. Interventions for urban workers might focus more on enhancing social trust and belonging, while those for rural "left-behind" groups might focus more on empowerment and collective efficacy. Second is the sustainability and long-term effectiveness of interventions. While the short-term effects of behavioral nudges and psychological empowerment have been widely documented, their long-term impact requires more longitudinal study. Once external nudges are withdrawn, can individuals maintain internalized cognitive patterns and behavioral habits? This necessitates a deeper exploration of internalization mechanisms, such as cognitive training that teaches individuals to independently identify and reconstruct their own negative cognitions, thereby achieving true "self-blood-making" rather than relying solely on external assistance \cite{Volpp2025}. By deeply integrating psychological science with social practice, it is possible to provide more scientific and humanistic solutions for the upward mobility of low-income groups.

This approach will ultimately contribute to the realization of a more equitable society.

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