Explore the vast range of titles available.

Empirical evidence indicates the links between social class and subjective well-being are numerous and varied, and Need Theory proposes that their relationship depends, in part, on whether people’s basic needs are being met. Given that sense of control is one of the fundamental social needs of human beings, the present research examined a mediated moderation model between the social class and subjective well-being by testing whether sense of control moderates this relationship, and whether this moderating effect is mediated through self-esteem. A sample of 536 Chinese adolescents (mean age = 13.79 years, SD = 0.95) completed anonymous questionnaires about their subjective and objective social class, sense of control, self-esteem, and subjective well-being. Consistent with the hypothesized mediated moderation model, the association between social class and subjective well-being was moderated by sense of control, with social class significantly influencing the subjective well-being of adolescents when their sense of control was low but not high. This moderation effect was then mediated by self-esteem. In addition, this model was found to be more suitable for adolescent boys than girls. The findings demonstrate that adolescents’ personal sense of control and self-esteem represent key mechanisms determining how social class is associated with subjective well-being.

Green behavior is traditionally considered as an effective way to ameliorate environmental degradation and requires an individual to make sacrifices of their social resources. However, few studies have focused on its status signaling. In this study, we draw on the theory of social class and the concept of status signaling theory to empirically investigate the effect of objective social class and perceived social status on private-sphere green behavior in China. Using national comprehensive survey data from China General Survey Data (CGSS) in 2021 subjected to ordinary least-square regression model and step regression models, we present the following results: (1) higher-class individuals, both objectively and subjectively, tend to engage in more private-sphere green behavior than their lower-class counterparts; (2) the effect of objective social class on private-sphere green behavior is mediated by individual’s perceived social status in the class hierarchy; (3) environmental concern significantly correlates with private-sphere green behavior, and it also mediates the effect between objective social class and private-sphere green behavior. The present research provides insights into how social class and its psychological manifestations (i.e., perceptions of status) correlate with private-green behavior in China. Our results suggest that more social context factors should be considered when identifying the factors promoting pro-environmental behavior in China.

Previous studies have revealed a positive relationship between social class and subjective well-being, but it is still unclear why social class is associated with subjective well-being. In the current study, 4168 Chinese adults aged 17 to 67 years completed measures of social class, present fatalistic time perspective and subjective well-being. Then a mediation analysis was conducted to examine whether present fatalistic time perspective would mediate the association between social class and subjective well-being. Results indicated social class was positively associated with subjective well-being; subjective social class (SSC) had a stronger association with subjective well-being than did objective social class (OSC). Social class was negatively related to present fatalistic time perspective; however, OSC was more predictive of present fatalistic time perspective than was SSC. Moreover, the relationship between social class and subjective well-being was mediated by present fatalistic time perspective, whether SSC or OSC. These results add to our understanding of the theoretical concept of social class and shed new light on a mechanism involved in the social class/well-being association. The implications of this study and future directions are also discussed.

Social stratification is a classic topic in sociology. Some studies have focused on class variations in pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs), with existing research yielding inconsistent results. This inconsistency may be due to the varying measurements of PEBs, as well as the complexity of class definitions. In this article, we focus on four types of PEBs (domestic recycling, green purchase behavior, good citizen behavior, and environmental activism) and comprehensively examine differences in these behaviors across objective classes, subjective classes, and class discordance. Using CGSS2021 data, this study finds that individuals in the lower objective class are more likely to participate in domestic recycling than those in the middle and upper classes, whereas individuals in the higher objective and subjective classes exhibit more green purchase behavior and engage in more good citizen behavior. The middle objective and subjective classes are found to be the most active group in environmental activism. Additionally, this study pioneers the exploration of the relationship between class discordance and PEBs. The results reveal that the underestimation of one’s own objective class significantly hinders participation in domestic recycling and green purchase behavior. This study highlights the importance of considering not only the different types of PEBs but also the complexity of class measurement.

The motivated attributions model of trust development suggests that trustors ameliorate the anxiety associated with dependence by perceiving others as trustworthy and then engage in seemingly irrational acts of trust, despite these acts being extremely risky. Accordingly, I predicted that individuals with lower social status would demonstrate more trusting behavior than would higher status individuals, and that this tendency would be explained by the lower sense of power of people with a lower social status. I tested the hypotheses using both correlational and experimental designs, with samples representing people from a diverse range of social class backgrounds and controlling for plausible alternative explanations. The results have theoretical and practical implications for understanding how inequality and hierarchy mold actions.

This study investigates the determinants of happiness among North Korean defectors by analyzing the subjective and objective measures of social class. Using survey data of North Korean defectors living in South Korea, this study explores how social class before and after defection is associated with defectors' happiness. Results show that subjective and objective economic status in South Korea are positively associated with happiness, whereas higher pre-defection status (especially Workers' Party membership) is negatively associated with it. Defectors who perceived themselves as lower class in North Korea tend to report greater happiness post-defection. Findings suggest that improving material conditions alone may be insufficient to enhance the well-being of North Korean defectors.

Self-change is crucial for driving both individual growth and societal progress. Based on schema theory, this study proposes that indirect multicultural experiences may be an effective pathway to promote self-change, with positive emotions and meaning seeking serving as mediators, and social class as a moderator. To test this hypothesis, an online survey was conducted with 1627 participants aged 18–55 years, using scales to assess indirect multicultural experiences, self-change, positive emotions, meaning seeking, and both subjective and objective social classes. The results indicated that indirect multicultural experiences promote self-change not only by enhancing positive emotions but also by fostering meaning seeking. Additionally, social class moderated the relationship between indirect multicultural experiences and self-change, with subjective social class playing a more pronounced role than objective social class. Individuals with higher subjective social class overall benefited more from indirect multicultural experiences. These findings enhance our understanding of the mechanisms behind self-change and suggest that interventions aiming to foster personal growth and self-improvement can benefit from encouraging diverse cultural exposures, focusing on enhancing individuals’ subjective sense of social class.

Socioeconomic class is a relevant variable with regard to the process of social hierarchization; specifically, subjective social class (SSC) has been found to correlate positively with the self-efficacy of persons. In the present study, with mixed methodology and a population size of 280 participants, we attempted to replicate these results by operationalizing SSC in the two following manners: (a) through experimental manipulation --randomly requesting that participants compare themselves with those who are above or below them in a social hierarchy scale-- and (b) through measuring SSC as individual difference. The results show no effects due to experimental manipulation, but do support that SSC, measured as individual difference, positively correlates with general self-efficacy. Regarding qualitative analysis, when the participant’s descriptions of common characteristics in members of the upper and lower class were studied, we found that situational characteristics predominated (over dispositional characteristics), but with greater positive valence when describing the upper class. We conclude that SSC is an important factor in self-efficacy and that it moderates effects of social comparison.

La clase socioeconmica es una variable relevante en el proceso de jerarquizacin social. Se ha encontrado que la clase social subjetiva (CSS) se relaciona positivamente con la autoeficacia de las personas. En la presente investigacin, de tipo mixto y realizada con 380 participantes, se intent replicar estos resultados operacionalizando la CSS de dos formas: a) a travs de una manipulacin experimental pidndole aleatoriamente a los participantes que se compararan con quienes quedaron abajo o arriba de ellos en una escala de jerarqua social y b) a travs de la medicin de la CSS como diferencia individual. Los resultados no mostraron efectos de la manipulacin experimental, pero si evidenciaron que la CSS, medida como diferencia individual, se relaciona positivamente con la autoeficacia general. Asimismo, y a nivel cualitativo, se analizaron las descripciones que los participantes hicieron sobre las caractersticas de las personas de clase alta y baja, encontrando que en ambos casos prevalecen caractersticas de tipo situacional (frente a caractersticas disposicionales), pero con una mayor valencia positiva en los de clase alta. Se concluye que la CSS es un factor importante en la autoeficacia y modera los efectos de la comparaci.

Aunque la relación entre la clase social y el bienestar ha sido profusamente analizada, apenas se conocen los posibles mecanismos explicativos subyacentes. Dado que se ha sugerido que los contextos sociales de clase baja se vinculan con una mayor vulnerabilidad e imprevisibilidad, nosotros proponemos que la incertidumbre emocional, esto es, la sensación de angustia experimentada ante eventos personales inciertos, podría constituir un potencial factor explicativo. La presente investigación, además de examinar la asociación entre la clase social (objetiva y subjetiva) y el bienestar subjetivo y la salud, también pretende poner a prueba el potencial rol mediador de la incertidumbre emocional. Los resultados obtenidos indicaron que la clase social subjetiva, a diferencia de la clase social objetiva, se relacionaba positiva y significativamente con todos los indicadores de bienestar subjetivo y salud analizados. También se encontró que la incertidumbre emocional medió el efecto de la percepción subjetiva de clase social en el bienestar subjetivo y la salud. Así pues, esta investigación mejora la comprensión de los mecanismos psicológicos implicados en la relación entre clase social y bienestar.