While your concern is valid - patronizing and disrespecting the poor is rampant - I don&#x27;t think that&#x27;s a <i>consequence</i> of observing this effect; there&#x27;s usually a prior belief. After all, the evidence is actually against the &quot;subhuman&quot; hypothesis - it shows that the reduced quality of the decisions is specifically a result of the environment, not an innate deficiency of some individuals.<p>Also, the assumption that everyone is rational is no longer unquestionable, ever since behavioral economics started gaining prominence.