Effects Of Subjective Socioeconomic Status Research Articles

DISCRIMINATION AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING IN LATER LIFE: LONGITUDINAL EVIDENCE FROM CHINA

Abstract Although ample evidence shows a negative association between discrimination and well-being outcomes, yet few longitudinal studies have explored the prevalence and consequences of multiple forms of discrimination among older adults. This study investigated the effects of interpersonal and institutional discrimination on psychological well-being among Chinese older adults and whether such effects were conditioned on subjective socioeconomic status. Data were retrieved from the China Family Panel Studies, consisting of 9,356 older respondents aged 45 and older in 2010 with their follow-up observations during 2012–2016. Random-effects panel regression analyses were performed to examine the relationships between multiple forms of discrimination on psychological distress and life satisfaction, separately, as well as the moderating effects of subjective socioeconomic status. Results revealed that one in four older adults experienced at least one form of discrimination during the past 12 months. Most prevalent discriminatory experiences encompassed wealth-based discrimination, delay and stalling at government agencies, and unfair treatment by government officials. Experiences of discrimination were negatively associated with life satisfaction and positively associated with psychological distress. Subjective socioeconomic status ameliorated the negative effect of interpersonal discrimination on life satisfaction. Findings reveal the detrimental effects of discrimination on psychological well-being that both interpersonal and institutional discrimination could reduce satisfaction with life and exaggerate psychological distress. Findings imply that subjective socioeconomic status could protect older adults from harmful effects of interpersonal discrimination, but not institutional discrimination.

“Not what I Can, but what I Should”

Educational inequalities associated with differences in social class backgrounds remain stable in many Western societies, where students from lower social classes generally have lower academic prospects. Previous research suggested that psychological barriers could explain part of this social class attainment gap. This study aimed to investigate the role of identity compatibility in explaining the relationship between high school students’ socioeconomic background and their educational aspirations. Identity compatibility is defined as perceived compatibility between students’ socioeconomic background and a stereotype of a university student. A total of 362 high school students from Croatia completed an online survey that measured their subjective socioeconomic status, identity compatibility, educational aspirations, and their school achievement. The results showed positive associations between the students’ subjective socioeconomic status and identity compatibility, which was, in turn, positively associated with their educational aspirations. The parallel multiple mediation model confirmed the significant indirect effect of subjective socioeconomic status on educational aspirations via identity compatibility, while the path via school achievement was not significant. These findings suggest that part of the social class educational aspiration gap could be explained by the perceived lack of compatibility between one’s social class identity and future university student identity, potentially leading to lower university enrolment rates among lower social class students. Practical considerations of study results are discussed in terms of the potential of socio-psychological interventions in reducing the social class educational aspiration gap.

Effect of subjective and objective socioeconomic status on physical health, mental health, and well-being

We investigated the independent and interactive effects of subjective socioeconomic status and objective socioeconomic status on physical health, mental health, and well-being. We collected questionnaires from 276 adults in China. Results showed that subjective socioeconomic status and objective socioeconomic status were positively related to mental health, physical health, and well-being. In addition, there was an interactive effect of subjective socioeconomic status and objective socioeconomic status on well-being. These findings provide a deeper understanding of the mechanisms by which socioeconomic status affects health and well-being and suggest that we should begin to improve peopleâ–™s well-being by looking at individual socioeconomic status.

How do house prices affect subjective wellbeing in urban China? Mediating effects of subjective socioeconomic status and household consumption

How do house prices affect subjective wellbeing in urban China? Mediating effects of subjective socioeconomic status and household consumption

Exploring the relationship between mental health literacy and psychological distress in adolescents: A moderated mediation model

Previous studies on the relationship between mental health literacy and psychological distress were rich, but little was known about the influence mechanism between them, and almost no research was found on the role of psychological resilience and subjective socio-economic status in the relationship between them. This study used a moderated mediation model to test the mediating effect of psychological resilience on the relationship between mental health literacy and psychological distress, and the moderating effect of subjective socioeconomic status in Chinese adolescents. We investigated 700 junior high school students in Inner Mongolia, China through online survey. The results are as follows: (1) Mental health literacy is a negative predictor of adolescents' psychological distress; (2) psychological resilience mediated the association between mental health literacy and psychological distress; (3) The first half of the model, that is, the relationship between mental health literacy and psychological resilience, is moderated by subjective socioeconomic status. Specifically, for adolescents with low subjective socioeconomic status, the positive predictive effect of mental health literacy on psychological resilience is obviously enhanced. The current findings would contribute to a deep understanding of the relationship among adolescents' mental health literacy, psychological resilience, subjective socioeconomic status and psychological distress, which may be of great significance to the prevention of adolescents' psychological distress.

Early Emotional Experiences and Prosocial Behavior among Chinese Adolescents: The Roles of Psychological Suzhi and Subjective Socioeconomic Status.

Prosocial behavior plays a vital role in adolescents' well-being and social functioning, with the recall of early emotional experiences being a major influence. Positive experiences such as early memories of warmth and safeness (EMWS) contribute to prosocial interpersonal characteristics, whereas adverse experiences such as child psychological abuse and neglect (CPAN) lead to social withdrawal or behavioral problems. The direct effects of EMWS and CPAN on prosocial behavior were investigated in this study, along with the mediation effect of psychological suzhi and the moderation effect of subjective socioeconomic status (SSS). A sample of 948 adolescents (Mage = 14.05 years, SD = 1.68 years; 43.6% females) was randomly recruited to complete self-report questionnaires. Correlation results indicated that EMWS promoted prosocial behavior, whereas CPAN was negatively associated with prosocial behavior. Path analyses confirmed the mediating role of psychological suzhi on the effects of EMWS and CPAN on prosocial behavior. SSS was shown to moderate the effects of EMWS on prosocial behavior and CPAN on psychological suzhi. Compared to lower SSS, higher SSS would reinforce the positive impact of EMWS on prosocial behavior and exacerbate the negative impact of CPAN on psychological suzhi. The current study provided new insight into understanding the underlying mechanisms of prosocial behavior from the perspective of early emotional experiences.

Socioeconomic Status Association With Dependency From Objective and Subjective Assessments: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BackgroundThe effect of socioeconomic status (SES) on dependency is still complex and not fully clear. The purposes of this study are to assess the association between SES and dependency personality disorder (DPD) using both objective and subjective assessments.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in 27 locations in China among 1,276 general residents aged 60 years and above through a complex multistage sampling design. Data were collected using a questionnaire by well-trained investigators through face-to-face interviews. The DPD was assessed using a standardized Chinese version of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-II scale. Objective SES was assessed by the combination of education levels, individual income, preretirement occupation, and medical insurance. Subjective SES was measured using the MacArthur Scale. The logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between objective SES and DPD. Analysis of covariance was conducted to compare the mean of DPD scores in different levels of SES.ResultsThe results of the chi-squared test showed that the levels of objective SES were associated with DPD, depression, social resources, and region. The logistic regression analysis showed a significant negative association between the levels of objective SES and DPD. The odds ratio was 1.84 (95% confidence interval, 1.07–3.18) after adjusting for important confounding factors. The analysis of covariance showed differences in the mean of DPD scores among different groups defined by different levels of SES.ConclusionThe levels of SES were negatively associated with DPD, and subjective SES had a stronger association with DPD than objective SES. The effect of subjective SES on DPD is possibly associated with the perception of position in the social hierarchy.

The effects of subjective socioeconomic status on conspicuous consumption

AbstractConspicuous consumption, the purchase, and exhibit of expensive and luxury items to signal wealth and status to others, is common in everyday life. Although conspicuous consumption seems to be exclusive to high‐status people, past research suggests that conspicuous consumption also allows people to compensate for feeling being lower in the social hierarchy. Four studies (Study 1a: N = 242; Study 1b: N = 208; Study 2, N = 242; Study 3, N = 128) examined the relationship between subjective socioeconomic status (SES) and conspicuous consumption, and the moderating role of social mobility beliefs. We found that people with low subjective SES are more likely to engage in conspicuous consumption (Studies 1a, 1b, and 2). We also provided evidence for the joint effect of subjective SES and social mobility belief on conspicuous consumption, such that low subjective SES people who perceive low social mobility are more prone to conspicuous consumption than other people (Studies 2 and 3). The findings are robust to whether subjective SES was measured (Studies 1a) or manipulated (Studies 1b, 2, and 3) and various forms of conspicuous consumption. The current research contributes to the literature on SES, conspicuous consumption, and social mobility belief. Practical implications and future directions are discussed.

The effect of self-rated health, subjective socioeconomic status, social capital, and physical activity on life satisfaction: a cross-sectional study in urban western Iran

BackgroundLife satisfaction is an important component in designing strategies to improve health outcomes in different groups of society. This study aimed to investigate the effect of subjective socioeconomic status (SSS), social capital (SC), self-rated health (SRH), and physical activity (PA) on life satisfaction (LS) in Iran.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted on 1187 people (643 men and 544 women) lived in five western cities in Iran. The sampling method was multistage clustering. Data collection tool was a five part questionnaire including demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status ladder, social capital scale, a question to measure physical activity, and the life satisfaction scale. Data were analyzed using independent t-test, one way ANOVA, and Ordinal Logistic Regression.ResultLife satisfaction was higher in married men and women compared to single and widows (p < 0.05). Among the variables included in the main model, the significant predictors were college education (− 0.500), marriage (coefficient = 0.422), age 25–34 years (coefficient = − 0.384), SRH (coefficient = 0.477), male sex (coefficient = 0.425), SSS (coefficient = 0.373), trust (coefficient = 0.115), and belonging and empathy (coefficient = 0.064).ConclusionSRH and SSS were significant predictors of life satisfaction in west Iranian society. Being married was associated with higher LS, but college education affects LS adversely.

Resting EEG, Hair Cortisol and Cognitive Performance in Healthy Older People with Different Perceived Socioeconomic Status.

Successful aging depends upon several internal and external factors that influence the overall aging process. Objective and subjective socioeconomic status emerge as potential psychosocial factors in the ethiopathophysiology of aging-related disorders. Presumably, low socioeconomic status can act as a psychosocial stressor that can affect humans’ physiology via psychoneuroendocrine mechanisms, that may, in turn, affect the brain physiology. In resting-state electroencephalography (EEG), excess theta and delta activity has been related to cognitive decline and dementia. The main aim of this study was to analyze the effect of objective and subjective socioeconomic status (SES) on cognition and brain electrical activity through EEG measures. The present research constitutes a cross-sectional study with thirty healthy older adults (61–82 years old) separated into two clusters: high socioeconomic (HS) and low socioeconomic (LS) status; they were evaluated and compared in cognitive terms using the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-IV). An EEG at rest was recorded to measure brain activity and, as an indicator of long-term stress exposure, hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) were measured. Our results show that lower SES is related to a worse performance in working memory tasks (p = 0.009), higher delta (p = 0.002) and theta power (p = 0.039), and lower alpha activity (p = 0.028). However, it seems that SES does not significantly affect HCC in this population of healthy older adults. The effects of SES on long-term cortisol exposure, brain electrical activity, and cognitive functions in healthy older people emphasize the role of psychosocial factors in aging from an integrative perspective that will allow us to implement better prevention programs to target cognitive decline in adults.

A Privileged Point of View: Effects of Subjective Socioeconomic Status on Naïve Realism and Political Division.

In the United States, both economic inequality and political conflict are on the rise. We investigated whether subjective socioeconomic status (SSS) may help explain why these dual patterns emerge. We hypothesized that higher SSS may increase naïve realism-the belief that one perceives the world as it is, rather than as interpreted through one's own knowledge and beliefs-regarding political issues. Using a representative sample of the American electorate, we found that higher SSS predicted more political naïve realism toward those from a different political party (Study 1). The remaining experiments examined the causal relationship between SSS and political naïve realism (Studies 2-5). We extended these findings by investigating whether SSS influenced participants' willingness to exclude those with contrary views from a vote (Studies 4 and 5). Together, these studies demonstrate that SSS enhances political naïve realism and can lead to the exclusion of others with contrary opinions.

Effects of Subjective Socioeconomic Status on Marriage and Fertility Intention among College Students: The Mediating Effect of Subjective Well-being

Effects of Subjective Socioeconomic Status on Marriage and Fertility Intention among College Students: The Mediating Effect of Subjective Well-being

Peer Victimization and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury Among Chinese Left-Behind Children: The Moderating Roles of Subjective Socioeconomic Status and Social Support.

Peer victimization is a serious issue among school-aged children. Chinese left-behind children tend to experience peer victimization and associated nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) behavior. However, the possible improvement of subjective socioeconomic status (SES) based on increased family income may serve to buffer the relationship between peer victimization and NSSI, and this buffering effect may differ by level of social support. Thus, the current study aimed to examine the moderating effect of subjective SES on the relationship between peer victimization and NSSI by the level of social support among Chinese left-behind children. A total of 431 left-behind children and 447 non-left-behind children (comparison group) completed self-report scales measuring peer victimization, NSSI, subjective SES, and social support. Results showed that peer victimization was positively related to NSSI among left-behind children, but not among non-left-behind children. Moreover, for left-behind children with low levels of social support, high subjective SES intensified the association between peer victimization and NSSI; peer victimization was positively associated with NSSI among left-behind children who reported high subjective SES, but not among those with low subjective SES. However, high levels of social support seemed to protect the left-behind children with high subjective SES who experienced peer victimization from NSSI. For non-left-behind children with both parents present, high subjective SES played a protective role in the association between peer victimization and NSSI, regardless of the levels of social support they enjoyed. These findings contribute to an understanding of subjective SES as a moderating mechanism in the association between peer victimization and NSSI among left-behind children. Social support proved central to the protective role of subjective SES. Intervention programs to enhance social support can help to strengthen the protective effect of subjective SES on NSSI among left-behind children who experience peer victimization.

Effects of Subjective Socioeconomic Status on Relative Deprivation and Subjective Well-being among College Students: Testing the ‘Silver-Spoon-Discourse’ based Belongingness in Korean Society

The ‘Sliver-Spoon-Discourse’ is currently witnessing growing complaints about the polarization and a sense of despair among many young people in Korean society. The ‘Sliver-Spoon-Discourse’ that compares one’s subjective socioeconomic status to a spoon implies a sense of psychological superiority or deprivation. The present study empirically tested the current popular ‘Sliver-Spoon-Discourse’ based belongingness and explored how subjective socioeconomic status may affect the psychology of young people. This study examined the effects of subjective socioeconomic status on individual relative deprivation and subjective well-being. Data were collected from 307 undergraduate students enrolled at universities located in Seoul with both parents alive. The findings of this study were as follows. First, student respondents reported moderate levels of subjective socioeconomic status, relative deprivation, and subjective well-being. Second, after controlling for respondents’ gender, age and family income, the students’ subjective socioeconomic status was negatively associated with their level of relative deprivation. Finally, after controlling for respondents’ sociodemographic characteristics, the students’ subjective socioeconomic status was not significantly related to all the three sub-factors of life satisfaction, positive emotion and negative emotion as well as total subjective well-being. The results indicate that ‘Sliver-Spoon-Discourse’ based belongingness may instigate relative deprivation of young people without affecting their subjective well-being. The implications of the results are discussed for youth programs and policies. Keywords: Silver-Spoon-Discourse, subjective socioeconomic status, relative deprivation, subjective well-being

Food Insecurity Moderates the Acute Effect of Subjective Socioeconomic Status on Food Consumption.

Experimentally inducing low subjective socioeconomic status (SSES) increases food consumption in standardized eating opportunities. Separately, food insecurity (FI) has also been shown to be associated with increased food consumption when a free eating opportunity is provided. Here, we assigned 123 adult volunteers to a low-SSES manipulation or a control condition, followed by an opportunity to consume snack foods. We measured FI prior to the experiment. Thus, our experiment served to replicate the effects of SSES and of FI on consumption, and also to establish whether these effects combine additively or interactively. The low-SSES manipulation increased food consumption, but only among participants who were food secure at baseline. Among food-insecure participants, the effect was reversed. This interaction was not predicted a priori and is presented as an exploratory finding. We also found evidence that both SSES and FI affected the hedonic evaluation of the snack foods, though the changes in evaluation did not mediate the changes in consumption. Our findings suggest that both FI and low SSES affect the consumption and evaluation of food. Their combined effects on consumption may be complex.

The Effect of Subjective Socioeconomic Status on Suicidal Ideation in Older Koreans

The Effect of Subjective Socioeconomic Status on Suicidal Ideation in Older Koreans

Subjective socioeconomic status causes aggression: A test of the theory of social deprivation.

Seven studies (overall N = 3690) addressed the relation between people's subjective socioeconomic status (SES) and their aggression levels. Based on relative deprivation theory, we proposed that people low in subjective SES would feel at a disadvantage, which in turn would elicit aggressive responses. In 3 correlational studies, subjective SES was negatively related to trait aggression. Importantly, this relation held when controlling for measures that are related to 1 or both subjective SES and trait aggression, such as the dark tetrad and the Big Five. Four experimental studies then demonstrated that participants in a low status condition were more aggressive than were participants in a high status condition. Compared with a medium-SES condition, participants of low subjective SES were more aggressive rather than participants of high subjective SES being less aggressive. Moreover, low SES increased aggressive behavior toward targets that were the source for participants' experience of disadvantage but also toward neutral targets. Sequential mediation analyses suggest that the experience of disadvantage underlies the effect of subjective SES on aggressive affect, whereas aggressive affect was the proximal determinant of aggressive behavior. Taken together, the present research found comprehensive support for key predictions derived from the theory of relative deprivation of how the perception of low SES is related to the person's judgments, emotional reactions, and actions. (PsycINFO Database Record

Objective and subjective assessments of socioeconomic status and their relationship to self-rated health in an ethnically diverse sample of pregnant women.

A new measure of subjective socioeconomic status (SES) was examined in relation to self-rated physical health in pregnant women. Except among African Americans, subjective SES was significantly related to education, household income, and occupation. Subjective SES was significantly related to self-rated health among all groups. In multiple regression analyses, subjective SES was a significant predictor of self-rated health after the effects of objective indicators were accounted for among White and Chinese American women; among African American women and Latinas, household income was the only significant predictor of self-rated health. After accounting for the effects of subjective SES on health, objective indicators made no additional contribution to explaining health among White and Chinese American women; household income continued to predict health after accounting for subjective SES among Latinas and African American women.

Objective and subjective assessments of socioeconomic status and their relationship to self-rated health in an ethnically diverse sample of pregnant women.

A new measure of subjective socioeconomic status (SES) was examined in relation to self-rated physical health in pregnant women. Except among African Americans, subjective SES was significantly related to education, household income, and occupation. Subjective SES was significantly related to self-rated health among all groups. In multiple regression analyses, subjective SES was a significant predictor of self-rated health after the effects of objective indicators were accounted for among White and Chinese American women; among African American women and Latinas, household income was the only significant predictor of self-rated health. After accounting for the effects of subjective SES on health, objective indicators made no additional contribution to explaining health among White and Chinese American women; household income continued to predict health after accounting for subjective SES among Latinas and African American women.