Socioeconomic Status and Neurocognitive Development: From What to Why

Children of higher SES generally perform better on tests of cognitive ability than those of lower SES and neural measures produce similar results. These findings comprise the What of the title. Less research addresses the Why – i.e., the mechanisms that link SES and neurocognitive development. Different hypotheses have been proposed but are rarely tested against one another. We summarize the evidence so far and suggest ways to accelerate progress.