{"id":1113,"slug":"mani-et-al-2013-sugarcane-farmers-cognitive-test","title":"Mani, Mullainathan, Shafir, Zhao 2013 (Science) — Indian sugarcane farmers; fluid intelligence + executive control measurably higher AFTER harvest payment than before","kind":"reference","scope":"business","status":"current","audiences":["kevin","candid-team"],"topics":["psychology-aversion","behavioral-economics"],"reference_body":"**Claim:** Mani, Mullainathan, Shafir, and Zhao (2013) measured fluid intelligence and executive control in **Indian sugarcane farmers before and after harvest payment**. Same farmers, paid annually in a lump sum that creates a predictable scarcity-then-abundance cycle. Cognitive measures were **measurably higher after payment than before** — meaning scarcity, not trait intelligence, accounted for the gap.\n\n**Source:** Mani, A., Mullainathan, S., Shafir, E., & Zhao, J. (2013). \"Poverty Impedes Cognitive Function.\" *Science* 341(6149): 976–980.\n\n**Confidence:** Verified.\n\n**For Candid:** Within-subject design rules out the obvious confounds. The cognitive effect of scarcity is real, large, and reversible. A GC mid-draw-cycle is not a stable trait — the cognitive bandwidth available to engage Candid's pitch fluctuates with cash position. Pitch timing matters; pitch *complexity* matters even more during scarce weeks.","rationale_body":null,"metadata":null,"links":{"outgoing":[{"slug":"research-brief-risk-aversion-post-failure-may-2026","title":"Research brief: risk aversion, loss aversion, and post-failure decision patterns in GC and trades-business decision-makers (May 2026)","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"relates-to"},{"slug":"mullainathan-shafir-2013-scarcity-bandwidth-tax","title":"Mullainathan & Shafir 2013 (Scarcity) — tunneling + bandwidth tax; scarcity consumes cognitive resources for executive function","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"depends-on"}],"incoming":[{"slug":"rule-payment-terms-aligned-with-gc-draw-cycle","title":"R8 — Payment terms aligned with the GC's draw cycle; progress-based or milestone-tied, not monthly; reduces scarcity-cognitive friction","kind":"rule","scope":"business","link_type":"depends-on"}]},"created_at":"2026-05-25T13:13:31.049Z","updated_at":"2026-05-25T13:13:31.049Z"}