Inequality’s Association with Poor Educational Outcomes in U.S. States Relates to Interest in Academic Shortcuts

Regional income inequality is associated with poor academic outcomes. Using U.S. data (2005 - 2016), we explored whether inequality has psychological consequences that may harm student outcomes. Theoretically, income inequality causes excessive focus on immediate concerns, therefore we examined whether inequality is associated with increased interest in academic shortcuts, and whether interest in shortcuts explains the academic outcomes of 4th graders, 8th graders, and adults. We used state-level Google search frequencies to measure interest in academic shortcuts (e.g., “cliff notes”). Inequality was associated with 8th grade standardized test performance and adult high school degrees, but not 4th grade standardized test performance. Interest in academic shortcuts mediated the effect of inequality on 8th grade performance and high school degrees (with some caveats). Our analyses are consistent with theorized psychological consequences of inequality suggesting that it biases students’ focus on the present in ways that undermine their educational achievement and attainment.