Mani, Mullainathan, Shafir, Zhao 2013 (Science) — Indian sugarcane farmers; fluid intelligence + executive control measurably higher AFTER harvest payment than before

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.

Source: Mani, A., Mullainathan, S., Shafir, E., & Zhao, J. (2013). "Poverty Impedes Cognitive Function." Science 341(6149): 976–980.

Confidence: Verified.

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.