Cognitive Sinergy as Determinant of Poverty Reduction

The following document describes an experimental methodological design implemented to test the cognitive synergy hypothesis regarding poverty reduction proposed by Boiser (2010). The cognitive synergy hypothesis refers to social, cultural accumulation altogether with informal and formal knowledge accumulation hidden in local environment nets as a key determinant in reducing poverty levels. Albeit cognitive synergy and social and cultural capital accumulation seem to be related, the former comes from an outsider regulator who induces latent resources for reaching development goals meanwhile the latter comes without inducing a development strategy upon a specific territory. The experimental methodological design is implemented where a continental sample of inhabitants is compared with an island sample of inhabitants that are exposed to an induced development strategy. Main findings indicate that cognitive synergy caused by a development strategy based on capital, social and technological accumulation in the islander population carried on by a non-profit organization is statistically significant reducing poverty in a data panel model adjusted for 2007 and 2009 economic and social data for the islander population.