Effects Of Subjective Social Status Research Articles

Health behaviors at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence for indirect effects of subjective social status via psychological distress.

Subjective social status (SSS), the perception of one's social standing compared to others in society, and socioeconomic status (SES) are interconnected but distinct determinants of health. Intermediary factors such as distress and health behaviors can contribute to this relationship. This pre-registered study hypothesized that, in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, nonspecific psychological distress would indirectly link SSS and SES to perceived changes in three health behaviors: sleep quality, physical activity, and alcohol consumption. Data from 412 US adults were collected from April to June 2020 through an online cross-sectional survey. Findings indicated that lower SSS was indirectly associated with lower current sleep quality, worsened sleep quality, and decreased physical activity since the pandemic onset via greater psychological distress. Path analyses controlled for age, gender, race, COVID-19-related worry, and shelter-in-place status. Results are discussed in light of findings from COVID-19 research and the broader literature on SES health disparities.

Views On Marriage and Love Following Sexual Harassment Experiences: A Moderated Mediation Analysis

Objectives: The current research aimed to explore the mechanism behind sexual harassment experiences and views on marriage and love (ML) among Chinese college students. Methods: 424 college students were recruited to complete the questionnaires about sexual harassment experiences (SH), subjective social status (SES), sexual knowledge (SK), and their views on ML. Results: The results of the moderated mediation model showed a negative association between SH and views on ML, explained through the mediating effect of SK. The negative moderating effect of SES between SH and SK was also found. Conclusion: The findings provide implications for supporting college students who have experienced SH in navigating their future romantic relationships, with the consideration of varied SES backgrounds.

Effects of Subjective Social Status and Self-Esteem in the Association Between Childhood Abuse and Adulthood Anxiety.

Subjective social status influences anxiety, but at present, the mechanism is not fully understood. It has been reported that negative childhood experiences, such as abuse, can influence depressive symptoms through subjective social status and personality traits, such as self-esteem. A similar mechanism is presumed to underlie anxiety symptoms in adulthood. Therefore, we hypothesized that subjective social status and self-esteem are intermediate factors in the indirect effects of childhood abuse on state anxiety in adulthood, and analyzed the indirect effects via these factors using a path analysis. Child Abuse and Trauma Scale, Subjective Social Status, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Form Y questionnaires were administered in a self-report format to 404 adult volunteers from January 2014 to August 2014. In addition, a path analysis was conducted to determine whether subjective social status and self-esteem are associated with the indirect effects of childhood abuse on anxiety symptoms in adulthood. Childhood abuse did not directly affect state anxiety in adulthood, but affected state anxiety via subjective social status and self-esteem. Subjective social status affected state anxiety via self-esteem. This model explained 25.2% of the variation in state anxiety in adult volunteers. The present study demonstrated that childhood abuse affects anxiety in adulthood through subjective social status and self-esteem. Therefore, interventions that enhance subjective social status and self-esteem for adults who experienced childhood abuse may help reduce their anxiety.

The Impact of Everyday ICT Use on Depressive Symptoms Among Older Adults in China: A Subjective Social Status Perspective.

While numerous studies have highlighted the positive effects of everyday information and communication technology (EICT) use among older adults, emerging evidence signals potential detriments to mental health, particularly among younger demographics. This study aims to examine the effect of EICT on depressive symptoms among Chinese older adults. We hypothesize that EICT use among older adults will contribute to higher amounts of depressive symptoms, mediated by a decline in subjective social status. We conducted a longitudinal mediation analysis with data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), a nationally representative survey. A total of 3,234 older adults aged 60 years and older were selected from Wave 2016 (T1), Wave 2018 (T2), and Wave 2020 (T3) of the CFPS. Structural equation modeling was used to construct complete longitudinal path model. EICT use at T1 predicted a decline in subjective social status at T2 (β = -0.215, p = .001), which in turn predicted higher depressive symptoms at T3 (β = -0.375, p = .005). The mediating effect of subjective social status was statistically supported (indirect effect 0.081, p = .042). We reveal the potential negative impact of EICT use among older adults and its underlying mechanism. It lays the groundwork for the formulation of relevant public health initiatives, critical for stemming and mitigating the burgeoning incidence of depressive symptoms within China's aging population.

Aggressive Humor and Social Connectedness: The Moderating Roles of Subjective Social Status and Gender

Aggressive humor has been conceived as a maladaptive humor style that jeopardizes social relationships. However, past studies have yielded inconsistent findings regarding the detrimental effects of aggressive humor on social relationships. This study attempts to advance the existing literature by examining the gender difference in the moderating role of subjective social status in the association between aggressive humor and social connectedness. Participants were 228 (53.1% female) adults aged from 18 to 53 years (M = 23.19, SD = 6.43). The hypothesized moderated moderation effect was significant, suggesting that gender significantly moderated the moderating effect of subjective social status on the association between aggressive humor and social connectedness. Subjective social status significantly moderated the association between aggressive humor and social connectedness for men but not for women. For men, aggressive humor was negatively associated with social connectedness when subjective social status was low or medium, but the association was not significant when subjective social status was high. For women, aggressive humor was not associated with social connectedness regardless of subjective social status. Implications of the findings are discussed.

Associations of relative deprivation with self-rated health and health-related quality of life: mediating role of subjective social status

ObjectivesRelative deprivation has been linked to various adverse health outcomes. However, the potential mediating factors in the association between relative deprivation and health outcomes remain unclear. This study aimed to (1) examine the association between relative deprivation and self-rated health and health-related quality of life among the working-age population in Taiwan and (2) investigate the mediating effect of subjective social status. Study designCross-sectional study using nationally representative data. MethodsData were obtained from the 2022 Taiwan Social Change Survey conducted from September 2021 to April 2022. We analyzed 1108 participants aged 25–64 years. Relative deprivation was measured using the Yitzhaki Index based on individual monthly income from all sources. Health-related quality of life was assessed using the 12-item Short Form Health Survey. ResultsAfter adjusting for all covariates and absolute income, least-squares regression models indicated a negative association between the Yitzhaki Index and self-rated health, as well as the physical and mental components of health-related quality of life. Furthermore, subjective social status partially mediates the association between relative income deprivation and poorer self-rated health and health-related quality of life. ConclusionsThe findings support the psychosocial effect of the relative deprivation measure, emphasizing the importance of addressing relative deprivation to improve health-related quality of life among the working-age population.

The suppression effect of subjective social status and tolerance for uncertainties on the relationship between family socioeconomic status and prosocial risk taking

BackgroundThe influence of social status on the prosocial behavior of adolescents is very profound, especially in China, where the socioeconomic development is very rapid and the social class is constantly evolving. Prosocial risk-taking (PSRT) behavior is a kind of prosocial behavior which also involves many potential risks, leading to difficulty for adolescents in decision making. Therefore, this study determined the relationship between family socioeconomic status and prosocial risk taking and the mechanism. MethodsTo explore the influence mechanism of family socioeconomic status (FSS) on adolescent prosocial risk taking (PSRT), 2313 adolescents were surveyed using FSS questionnaire, subjective social status (SSS) questionnaire, tolerance for uncertainties (TFU) questionnaire, and PSRT questionnaire. Then, descriptive data analysis was conducted using SPSS software, and a structural equation model was constructed using Mplus software to verify the relationship between variables. ResultsThe results showed that (1) FSS could positively predict adolescents’ PSRT. (2) SSS not only had a suppression effect on the influence of FSS on PSRT alone, but also had a suppression effect on the influence along with TFU. Besides, the mediating effect of TFU was not significant. (3) There were significant gender differences in the structural models. The FSS had a greater impact on the SSS of females than that of males. ConclusionFor adolescents, the development of PSRT behavior is greatly influenced by their subjective perception of their social status and tolerance to uncertainties. This study deepens our understanding of the development of adolescent PSRT behavior.

Does gender moderate the association between socioeconomic status and health? Results from an observational study in persons with spinal cord injury living in Morocco.

Socioeconomic status (SES) and gender are well-known social determinants of health. However, their impact on health in populations with physical disabilities in low-resource countries is still lacking. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate associations of individual SES with health and the moderating effect of gender on this association in a Moroccan population with a physical disability, namely spinal cord injury. Cross-sectional survey data from 385 participants with spinal cord injury living in Morocco were analyzed. SES was operationalized by education level, household income, financial hardship, and subjective social status. Health indicators included secondary conditions, pain, vitality, quality of life, and general health. Associations between SES and health indicators were investigated using linear and logistic regressions. To test the potential moderation of gender, interaction terms between SES and gender were introduced in regression models. Financial hardship and lower subjective social status were associated with poorer health outcomes in four out of five indicators in the total sample. In contrast, education and income were inconsistently associated with health. Overall, gender did not moderate the association between SES and health, except that educational inequalities in general health were more pronounced in women, and the observation of a trend for a stronger negative effect of subjective social status on men's than woman's health (p > 0.05). This study revealed that subjective indicators of SES negatively impact on health, whereas evidence for the moderating role of gender in this association was weak. These findings underline the importance to reduce social marginalization and poverty in populations with disabilities in low-resource countries to reduce their double burden of living with a disability and encountering social disadvantages through low SES.

Complex effects of childhood abuse, subjective social status, and trait anxiety on presenteeism in adult volunteers from the community.

Presenteeism, which is reduced productivity levels owing to physical or mental problems, causes substantial economic loss. It is known to be associated with personal and working environment factors, but the mechanism has not been fully clarified to date. Therefore, we analyzed the effects of childhood abuse on presenteeism of general adult workers, and the mediating effects of subjective social status and trait anxiety. From 2017 to 2018, a cross-sectional survey was performed, and 469 adult workers provided written consent. Demographic information, and results from the Child Abuse and Trauma Scale, Subjective Social Status, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory form Y, and Work Limitations Questionnaire were investigated. Multiple linear regression and path analyzes were performed. Childhood abuse indirectly affected current presenteeism via subjective social status and trait anxiety. Presenteeism was directly affected only by trait anxiety, childhood abuse directly affected subjective social status and trait anxiety, and subjective social status affected trait anxiety. This study clarified the long-term effects of childhood abuse on presenteeism in adulthood via trait anxiety. Therefore, assessing childhood abuse, subjective social status, and trait anxiety may help to elucidate the mechanism of workplace presenteeism and develop measures against it.

Subjective Social Class and the Retention Intentions of Teachers from the Publicly Funded Normal Students Program in China: The Dual Mediating Effect of Organizational and Professional Identity

A stable teaching force is an important guarantee for the sustainable development of education. Teacher turnover is one of the reasons for the teacher shortage in rural areas. Although studies have examined the influencing factors of teachers’ turnover intention, little is known about the effect of subjective social status on teachers’ turnover intention, especially for publicly funded normal students program (PFNSP) teachers who play a vital role in improving the quality of education in less developed regions of central and western China. A questionnaire survey was conducted, which returned a total of 16,731 responses (8141 public recruited teachers and 1498 teachers from PFNSP). The study explores the influence of subjective social class on PFNSP teachers’ retention intention and the mediating role of organizational and professional identity on this impact. Except for organizational identity, the subjective social class, professional identity, and retention intentions of PFNSP teachers were significantly lower than those of publicly recruited teachers. There was a significant association between subjective social class and retention intentions of PFNSP teachers. In addition, organizational identity and professional identity had a significant positive relationship to PFNSP teachers’ retention intention, and played partial mediating roles in the relationship between subjective social class and retention intentions.

Socioeconomic position and self-rated health among adolescents: the mediating role of the family

Abstract Background Although health inequalities in adolescence are well documented, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Few studies have examined the role of the family in explaining adolescents’ health inequalities. The study aimed to explore whether the association between socioeconomic position and self-rated health (SRH) was mediated by familial determinants. Methods Using data from wave 2 of the KiGGS study (1,838 female and 1,718 male 11- to 17-year-olds), linear regression analyses were conducted to decompose the total effects of parents’ education, occupation, income, socioeconomic position index, and adolescents’ subjective social status on SRH into direct effects and indirect effects through familial determinants (family cohesion, parenting styles, parental well-being, stress, obesity, smoking and sporting activity). Results A significant total effect of all socioeconomic position indicators on SRH was found, except for income in male adolescents. In female adolescents, more than 70% of the total effects of each socioeconomic position indicator were explained by familial mediators, whereas no significant direct effects remained. The most important mediator was parental well-being, followed by family cohesion, parental smoking and sporting activity. In male adolescents, the associations of parental education, the socioeconomic position index and subjective social status with SRH were also mediated by familial determinants (family cohesion, parental smoking and obesity). However, a significant direct effect of subjective social status remained. Conclusions The family appears to play an important role in explaining health inequalities, particularly in female adolescents. Reducing health inequalities in adolescence requires policy interventions, community-based strategies, as well as programs to improve parenting and family functioning.

Social position and personal versus social focus: A multinational study of managerial values

Managerial positions involve influencing others, hence the importance of studying the standards guiding managers' attitudes, decisions, and behavior. Drawing on structural theories and psychological findings on the effects of subjective social status, we predict that holding a managerial position is related to individual value structure via self-perceived social rank of those in managerial positions. We argue that holding a managerial position is associated positively with prioritizing values reflecting personal focus (self-enhancement and openness to change value types) and, as a consequence, negatively with prioritizing values reflecting social focus (self-transcendence and conservation value types). Using data from the European Social Survey 2012 (N = 48,105) from 29 countries, we found a mediating effect of subjective social status between holding a managerial position and personal versus social focus not moderated by the country context. We discuss the implications of these findings for psychological theories of social hierarchy and managerial practice.

Assessment of wetland ecosystem services and human wellbeing nexus in sub-Saharan Africa: Empirical evidence from a socio-ecological landscape of Ghana

In a rapidly urbanized socio-ecological landscape like that of the Keta Lagoon Complex Ramsar Site (KLCRS) with the increasing trend of anthropogenic and natural stresses, careful understanding of the relationship between ecosystem services (ESs) and human wellbeing (HWB) is central to its sustainability. We use subjective quantitative indicators and structural equation model (SEM) based on the MA framework to assess the complex relationship between ESs and HWB while considering the mediating effect of subjective social status (SSS). Using a semi-structured questionnaire, primary data was collected randomly from 794 household heads in six communities within the KLCRS enclave. SSS provided a good cumulative indicator of status across different aspects of socioeconomic standing. Our results showed that the contentment levels of provisioning, regulatory, and cultural ESs were low and moderate for most of the respondents, but there were significant community variations attributed to the differences in livelihood opportunities and prevailing environmental challenges. The study communities accounted for more than 40% of the variations in respondents' wellbeing levels. High and moderate levels of wellbeing exclusively coincided with areas where respondents had high and moderate contentment with each ESs. From the SEM, provisioning ESs had the strongest positive effect on respondents’ wellbeing and hence suggesting that HWB has mainly been achieved through provisioning ESs. Therefore, provision of alternative livelihood options, scaling-up restoration of vital habitat, and development of comprehensive strategic spatial plans were recommended to relevant stakeholders to help improve the capacity of the KLCRS to supply the regulatory services and the other ESs.

Subjective Social Status, Area Deprivation, and Gender Differences in Health among Chinese Older People.

This study examined the gender differences in the main and interactive effects of subjective social status and area deprivation on health among older adults in Hong Kong. Data for this study came from the baseline of MrOs and MsOs studies, including 4000 Chinese men and women ≥ 65 in Hong Kong. Subjective social status was assessed using the MacArthur Scale of subjective social status scale. Our results reaffirm that subjective social status is an independent indicator of health after adjusting for objective SES measures (e.g., education and income). Perceived rank on the community ladder was more closely related to health among older people than was the society ladder, particularly for women. Although area-level social deprivation was not significantly associated with the health of older people, it may moderate the effect of subjective social status on health. Women with a lower perceived status in the community were more likely to experience depressive symptoms but better grip strength when living in more deprived neighborhoods. The findings suggested that subjective social status provides important information for the physical and mental health of the older population. Policymakers may implement interventions to enhance the subjective social status of older adults. Given the greater contribution of relative status in the community to the health of women, these policies and interventions should target to improve women’s perceived status in the community.

The effect of subjective social status on health-related quality of life decline in urban Chinese older adults: a four-year longitudinal study from Hong Kong

BackgroundImproving health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is becoming a major focus of old age care and social policy. Researchers have been increasingly examining subjective social status (SSS), one’s self-perceived social position, as a predictor of various health conditions. SSS encompasses not only concrete socio-economic (SES) factors but also intangible aspects of status. This study’s main objective was to examine the association between SSS and long-term change in HRQOL in older Chinese adults.MethodsA longitudinal Hong Kong study recruited 2934 community-dwelling adults (age > 65 years). Participants completed SF-12 physical health (PCS) and mental health (MCS) HRQOL scales. This study analyzed baseline SSS-Society (self-perceived social status within Hong Kong) and SSS-Community (self-perceived status within one’s own social network) as predictors of long-term HRQOL decline. After stratifying for sex, multiple-linear-regression was performed on 4-year follow-up SF-12 PCS and MCS scores after adjusting for baseline SF-12 scores, traditional SES indicators, demographic variables, clinical conditions, and lifestyle variables.ResultsIn the multivariable analyses, lower SSS-Society was associated with declines in MCS in males (βstandardized = 0.08, p = 0.001) and declines in PCS (βstandardized = 0.07, p = 0.006) and MCS (βstandardized = 0.12, p < 0.001) in females.SSS-Community was associated with declines in PCS in males (βstandardized = 0.07, p = 0.005) and MCS in females (βstandardized = 0.14, p < 0.001).ConclusionsSSS may be a useful supplementary tool for predicting risk of long-term HRQOL decline in older Chinese adults. Strategies to reduce perceived social inequalities may improve HRQOL in older adults.

Responses to social inequality across the life span: The role of social status and upward mobility beliefs

Economic inequality has been consistently rising in recent decades in many Western countries including Germany. This is a pressing issue as greater economic inequality within a society has detrimental consequences for well-being, social stability, productivity, and even life expectancy. However, little is known about how individuals of different ages experience and respond to social inequality across adulthood. Because status differences are perceived as more malleable in young adulthood (i.e., young adults can expect to move up the social ladder) and only manifest across adulthood, we predicted that negative emotional reactions to the perceived standing in the social hierarchy should become increasingly pronounced with age. Consistently, a first study based on a national representative sample in Germany (N = 2,542; 18–91 years) confirmed that subjective social status had a much stronger effect on the acceptance of social inequality among middle-aged and older, as compared with younger, adults. In a second experimental study (N = 387; 18–89 years), participants of any age responded with negative emotional reactions when rising inequality was made salient. However, subjective social status moderated this effect only in middle-aged and older, but not younger, adults. Finally, a third experimental study (N = 605; 18–82 years) showed that, compared with middle-aged and older adults, younger adults maintained stronger upward mobility beliefs that accounted for the age-differential effects of subjective social status on negative emotional reactivity to rising inequality. We discuss the central role of upward mobility beliefs for individuals’ responses to social inequality across the adult life span.

Socioeconomic position and self-rated health among female and male adolescents: The role of familial determinants in explaining health inequalities. Results of the German KiGGS study.

ObjectiveAlthough health inequalities in adolescence are well documented, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Few studies have examined the role of the family in explaining the association between the family’s socioeconomic position and adolescents’ self-rated health. The current study aimed to explore whether the association between socioeconomic position and self-rated health was mediated by familial determinants.MethodsUsing data from wave 2 of the”German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents” (KiGGS) (1,838 female and 1,718 male 11- to 17-year-olds), linear regression analyses were conducted to decompose the total effects of income, education, occupational status, socioeconomic position index and adolescents’ subjective social status on self-rated health into direct effects and indirect effects through familial determinants (family cohesion, parental well-being, parental stress, parenting styles, parental obesity, smoking and sporting activity).ResultsA significant total effect of all socioeconomic position indicators on self-rated health was found, except for income in male adolescents. In female adolescents, more than 70% of the total effects of each socioeconomic position indicator were explained by familial mediators, whereas no significant direct effects remained. The most important mediator was parental well-being, followed by family cohesion, parental smoking and sporting activity. In male adolescents, the associations between income, parental education, the socioeconomic position index and subjective social status were also mediated by familial determinants (family cohesion, parental smoking, obesity and living in a single-mother family). However, a significant direct effect of subjective social status remained.ConclusionThe analysis revealed how a family’s position of socioeconomic disadvantage can lead to poorer health in adolescents through different family practices. The family appears to play an important role in explaining health inequalities, particularly in female adolescents. Reducing health inequalities in adolescence requires policy interventions (macro-level), community-based strategies (meso-level) and programs to improve parenting and family functioning (micro-level).

Subjective social status, objective socioeconomic status, and memory aging

AbstractBackgroundMemory aging is a heterogeneous process. Many research efforts have been made to explore what might “slow down” memory aging. The present study examined how subjective social status and objective socioeconomic status may be protective for memory aging in normal adults.MethodWe recruited 272 participants (aged 20‐70 yrs old) online using MTurk, and measured their memory performance using a newly developed task that examines multiple domains of visual memory. During this task (Fig. 1), participants viewed and made judgements of pictures depicting an object in a scene and later completed a surprise recognition test where they indicated if they remember seeing the identical picture earlier. In the recognition test, some pictures were the exact pictures presented earlier; some were lures that had a different object, a different scene, or a different spatial relation of the object to the scene; and some were completely new pictures. We measured memory performance based on participant’s response accuracy. We additionally collected information on participants’ subjective social status (using the MacArthur Scale of Subjective Social Status), education, occupation class, and individual and household income.ResultAs expected, increasing age was related to worse memory performance. Importantly, subjective social status moderated the aging effect on memory: people who rated their social status to be higher (top 40%) did not show the typical age‐related decrease in memory (Fig. 2a). Higher household income was also associated with slower memory aging: people who reported having higher household income (&gt;$75,000) did not show an age‐related memory decrease (Fig. 2b). Education and occupation, however, did not moderate memory aging. Finally, we found the moderating effects of subjective social status and income were interactive: higher income was associated with less memory aging in people with low subjective social status, while higher subjective social status was associated with less memory aging for people with low income (Fig. 2c).ConclusionSubjective beliefs of having a high social position and objectively having a high income are two factors that may “slow down” memory aging. They work together in a way where one protects when the other fails to do so.

Not just ‘the left behind’? Exploring the effects of subjective social status on Brexit-related preferences

ABSTRACT It has recently been argued that subjective status – the way individuals feel about their worth in society – deserves greater prominence in accounts of political preferences including anti-immigration sentiment and Brexit. In this paper, we give a detailed empirical account of the relationship between Subjective Social Status (SSS) and Brexit-related preferences, using data collected online in the autumn of 2017 (N = 3600). We find limited evidence that ‘objective’ dimensions of status translate into preferences via SSS. Rather, most of the effect of education and social class on political preferences is direct (or via another unmeasured mechanism). We propose that SSS has a role in norm compliance and demonstrate that high SSS among the university-educated and among those with high-status social ties is associated with a higher probability of voting leave in the referendum, as well as higher levels of anti-immigrant sentiment. Thus, we conclude that if SSS has a role in shaping populist preferences, it is more complex than has been assumed. It exerts an effect in the opposite direction to the expected one among the privileged, and does not appear to explain the preferences of the ‘left behind’.

Race Differences in the Effect of Subjective Social Status on Hostility and Depressive Symptoms Among 9- to 11-Year-Old Children.

Research shows that subjective social status (SSS) is a salient determinant of health. However, there is little research on SSS-related group differences on psychosocial outcomes among children. The purpose of the current study was to determine if associations between psychosocial functioning and SSS in children varied as a function of racial groups. We used a series of regression models to examine associations between SSS and measures of hostility and depressive symptom severity in groups of Black and White children. All analyses controlled for objective markers of family- and neighborhood-level socioeconomic status. Participants included 291 school-age children in Syracuse, NY. Among Black children, SSS was negatively associated with hostility scores, R2 = 0.10, F(6, 160) = 3.34, p = 0.006, but not depressive symptom severity. Conversely, among White children, SSS was negatively associated with depressive symptom severity, R2 = 0.18, F(6, 117) = 4.37, p = 0.001, but not hostility. These racial differences in SSS-associated psychosocial functioning could be explained by race-based differences in attributions of social mobility and socioeconomic inequalities. Findings provide support for investigating possible tailoring of behavioral interventions to assist children in developing high SSS or coping with low SSS.