Environmental influences on cognition
IB PsychologyΒ· Learning and cognitionΒ· 14 min read
1. Core concept
Cognitive processes are influenced by the everyday environment a person lives in, not just their biology. Nutrition is one factor β what and whether a person eats affects the mental resources available for a task. Socioeconomic conditions are another β early poverty is linked to poorer cognitive development, partly through the resources and stimulation a child receives. These are population-level, largely correlational influences: they show environment matters for cognition, while the exact mechanisms remain debated.
2. Key studies
IB Psychology answers must be supported by named studies. Learn these to cite as evidence:
Martins et al. (2020)
A review of 30 studies found a general consensus that breakfast benefits cognitive function, with low-glycaemic-index foods possibly better, though the mechanisms are not fully understood. β Anchors NUTRITION as an environmental influence on cognitive performance β and its own caution that the mechanism is unclear.
Dickerson and Popli (2016)
Using UK cohort data, experiencing poverty earlier in life had a more detrimental effect on cognitive development, with parental investment a more significant factor than family stress. β Anchors the SOCIOECONOMIC environment as an influence on cognitive development, and points to the mediating factor (investment).
3. Evaluation (AO3)
Strength β real-world and applicable β Large samples and cohort data give findings with clear policy relevance (breakfast programmes, early-years investment) that lab-only work cannot.
Limitation β correlational and confounded β Environment cannot be randomly assigned, so factors like poverty travel with many others (nutrition, stress, schooling); causal direction and mechanism are hard to isolate.
4. Scope
5. Common Pitfalls
Wrong move:
Reading a correlation between an environmental factor (poverty, breakfast) and cognition as simple, direct causation.
Why:
A frequently penalised misconception in IB Psychology exams.
Correct move:
These are largely correlational population effects with confounds (parental investment, SES, stress); the studies themselves flag that the mechanism is not fully established, so claim influence cautiously.
Going deeper
- Diathesisβstress modelenvironment interacting with biology (gene x environment) is the diathesis-stress / interaction concept, BIO_5.
- Childhood experiences & epigeneticshow early childhood experience shapes later development is Human development (HD_8); this card focuses on the cognitive-process outcome.