Question: How is socioeconomic status associated with brain development? Need Assignment Help? Cash payments have been shown to eliminate differences in brain structure of infants in the high-cash gift group, in comparison to infants in middle-income families. Poverty is associated with higher stress levels, which may in turn affect brain development. Poverty appears to increase stress, which has a positive effect on brain and cognitive development. Poverty causes reductions in the size of the amygdala and hippocampus.