The Effects of Objective and Subjective Socioeconomic Status on Subjective Well-Being among Rural-to-Urban Migrants in China: The Moderating Role of Subjective Social Mobility

Emphasizing symbolic capital: its superior influence on the association between family socioeconomic status and adolescent subjective well-being uncovered by a large-scale multivariate network analysis

Background

Family socioeconomic status (FSES) serves as a significant determinant for subjective well-being. However, extant research has provided conflicting evidence on the correlation between FSES and adolescent students' subjective well-being (SSWB).

Methods

Data were collected from 12,058 adolescent students (16 years of age) by the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018. Multivariate canonical correlation and Mantel test were utilized to investigate the specific connection between FSES and SSWB. Furthermore, a Gaussian EBICglasso graph-theoretical model was used to capture the topological properties of the FSES-SSWB network and reveal the interplay among multifarious components of FSES and SSWB.

Results

FSES was positively correlated with SSWB. In the FSES-SSWB network, parental educational attainment and occupation status demonstrated the highest centrality values, thereby contributing significantly to the relationship between FSES and SSWB. However, family wealth, along with educational and cultural resources, displayed lower centrality values, signifying their weaker roles in this relationship.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that symbolic capital, rather than family affluence, exerts a dominant influence on adolescent SSWB. In other words, SSWB may not be detrimentally influenced by a deficiency in monetary resources. However, it is more susceptible to being unfavorably impacted by inferior parental educational attainment and occupational standing.

Perceptions of social class through Chinese speech cues

Speech is a complex auditory signal that contains multiple layers of linguistic and non-linguistic structure, it contains both linguistic and social class information. Perceivers are exquisitely sensitive to this layered structure and extract not only linguistic properties, but also indexical characteristics that provide information about individual talkers and groups of talkers. Social class information involves inferring the speaker's social class or forming an impression of their social status based on their speech. Previous research on social class perception in speech has primarily focused on English, with relatively little research on Chinese. This study examines social class perception in Chinese speech. Study 1 employed class judgment and evaluation tasks with a subjective social class scale as the main measure to examine whether listeners could infer class information from Chinese speech and how their own class background influenced their perception. The results of Study 1 showed that subjects could accurately discriminate between speakers' social classes, but there may be a response bias that overestimates lower-class speakers as upper-class speakers. Study 2 focused on whether the speech of different classes of speakers actually differed on a number of indicators. It was found that the speech of higher class speakers was perceived to be more standardised, more pleasant to listen to and less accent-intensive. Overall, listeners can perceive class information from Chinese speech; different classes of Chinese speech do contain different levels of indexical information. In Chinese language societies, individuals can also judge their class information through the speech, which is consistent with the relevant research results in English.

Does environmental pollution reduce residents' income? Evidence from CFPS in China

Understanding the relationship between environmental pollution and residents' income is extremely important for promoting sustained progress and high-quality economic growth. This research examines the impact, mechanism, and heterogeneity of environmental contamination on residents' earnings by fusing the micro data from China Family Panel Survey with the macro data of government statistics. The results reveal that environmental degradation has a significantly negative impact on residents' individual income. Further research on the intermediary mechanism finds that environmental pollution plays a harmful role in residents' income by reducing residents' subjective well-being and labor employment. Besides, the income effect of environmental pollution is significantly heterogeneous among different regions and differentiated groups. The deteriorating environmental quality widens urban-rural income gap and increases wage inequality of inhabitants in eastern, central, and western regions of China. The gender income gap and the income disparity between different income brackets also expand with environmental deterioration. These findings not only prove that long-term development at the cost of the ecological environment is undesirable, but also demonstrate the important role of the improvement of ecological environmental quality in promoting human well-being.

Moderated moderation modelling of subjective social status, pocket money and depressive symptoms of university students in Ghana

Introduction

Although the relationship between subjective social status and depression in university students has been well-established, this association could be seen as a spurious one. Previous studies have shown that key variables like financial resources and age could play key roles in explaining the variances in social status and mental health outcomes. In this research, we assessed the complex interrelationships between subjective social status, financial resources at their disposal and depressive symptoms among university students within their young and middle adulthood stages.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in a university in Ghana to sample 1134 university students through accidental sampling. The McArthur Scale and WHO-5 Well-being measure were used for the data collection.

Results

The results revealed that higher levels of subjective social status were associated with lower levels of depression. It was further found that the interaction between students' pocket money and age played unique roles in the relationship between subjective social status and depression.

Conclusion

The study findings call on stakeholders in education to explore funding opportunities and to examine ways of empowering parents (financially) to adequately support the students. Health educationists and promoters, including psychologists, school counsellors and parents could compliment these efforts by helping to train and empower students through self-regulation or management skills to help improve their well-being. Continuous efforts are required to improve the financial status and mental health of students.

A roadmap to SDGs-emergence of technological innovation and infrastructure development for social progress and mobility

The goal of this study was to conduct a thorough investigation on understanding how infrastructure growth and technological innovation affect social mobility and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study aimed to illuminate the underlying mechanisms by exploring the mediating function of psychological empowerment and the moderating impact of community satisfaction. The study carefully chose a sizeable sample of 370 connected to the mega project CPEC. Data collection was carried out using a questionnaire-based approach. Notably, the study confirmed the large and favorable influence of technical innovation and infrastructural development on both the SDGs-13 (climate change) and social mobility. Furthermore, this study provided light on the critical function of environmental impacts identifying it as an important mediating mechanism that magnifies the effects of innovation and infrastructure on long-term development outcomes. It gives decision-makers in government, business, international organizations, and local communities useful information by offering empirical data and insights. This study offers a novel perspective and explores the relationship between infrastructure growth, technological innovation, social mobility, and SDGs-13-climate change. It uncovers the pivotal roles of psychological empowerment and community satisfaction, offering fresh insights into global development strategies influencing SDGs.

Social cognition, socioeconomic status and subjective well-being of Chinese migrant workers

Subjective well-being is based on the unity of internal and external needs, as well as material and non-material needs. However, existing research lacks consideration of the impact of both objective material conditions and subjective psychological cognition on the subjective well-being of migrant workers. Thus, based on data from the 2017 China General Social Survey, this paper applies ordered logit models and OLS models to investigate the impact of social cognition and socioeconomic status on the subjective well-being of migrant workers and their intergenerational differences. The results indicate that: (1) Social cognition has a significant impact, and the impact of fairness perception is more pronounced than depression perception and class change perception; (2) among socioeconomic status, personal income did not have a significant effect as education level, car ownership and house property ownership; (3) there are intergenerational differences. The emotional state of the older generation is the most critical factor influencing their subjective well-being. In contrast, the new generation is more concerned with their feelings about future expectations. The older generation is more concerned with their house property ownership, while the increase in income, education and car ownership can significantly increase the subjective well-being of the new generation. For this reason, we believe that the Chinese government should gradually change the existing urban and rural management system to create a fair and just social environment; make migrant workers receive the same protection as urban residents and improve the income distribution mechanism; pay attention to the social security of the older generation of migrant workers and the development opportunities of the new generation of migrant workers and their ability to integrate into the city to improve their subjective well-being.

Examining factors contributing to the socioeconomic inequalities in handgrip strength among older adults in India: a decomposition analysis

The purpose of this study was to examine (a) the socioeconomic status (SES)-related inequalities associated with handgrip strength (HGS); and (b) the extent to which several demographic, health, and behavioral factors contributed to such SES disparities in HGS among older adults in India. Data were drawn from the 2017-2018 wave 1 of the Longitudinal Ageing Study of India (LASI). The study sample included 27,707 older adults (13,199 men and 14,508 women) aged 60 years and older. HGS was assessed using a handheld Smedley's Hand Dynamometer with a cut-off of 19.5 kg for men and 12.5 kg for women. Bivariate analysis showed the weighted percentage distribution of weak HGS across respondent characteristics. Multivariate logistic regression assessed factors linked to weak HGS. The concentration curve and index (CCI) was used to determine the inequalities in the prevalence of weak HGS by wealth index scores. Wagstaff's decomposition approach was used to test the contribution of each explanatory variable to weak HGS. Around 9% of older adults in this study reported a weak HGS. It was significantly higher among those aged 80 or older (19.21%) and males (15.55%). Weak HGS was concentrated among older adults from poor SES (CCI: 0.05, p < 0.001). A higher percentage of wealth-based inequality in weak HGS was explained by being underweight (38.83%), belonging to the richest wealth quintile (27.95%), and having a higher subjective social status (32.20%). Moreover, about 23.29% of the inequality in weak HGS was explained by Western region and 22.54% by female gender. Additionally, having a secondary level of education explained a higher percentage (22.09%) of inequality, followed by current working status (- 20.68%). Rural residence (13.08%), limitations in instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) (12.21%), and engagement in yoga-related activities (11.55%) explained a higher percentage of wealth-based inequalities. The findings provide evidence of significant SES-related inequalities in HGS and the contribution of various demographic, health, and behavioral factors to such inequality. As such, public health policies and programs focusing on reducing the burden of disability must consider the contribution of social and economic equity to the preservation of muscle strength among older adults.

Relation of emotion malleability beliefs to subjective well-being: A short-term longitudinal study

Prior research has shown that emotion malleability beliefs are positively related to subjective well-being, but less is known about the longitudinal relationship between both variables. The present study used a two-wave longitudinal design to examine the temporal directionality of the relationship in a sample of Chinese adults. Using cross-lagged models, we found that emotion malleability beliefs predicted all three dimensions of subjective well-being (i.e. positive affect, life satisfaction, and negative affect) 2 months later. However, we did not detect any reverse or reciprocal effect between emotion malleability beliefs and subjective well-being. In addition, emotion malleability beliefs still predicted life satisfaction and positive affect after controlling for the effect of the cognitive or emotional component of subjective well-being. Our study provided primary evidence for the temporal directionality of the association between emotion malleability beliefs and subjective well-being. Implications and suggestions for future research were discussed.

Socioeconomic status and subjective well-being: The mediating role of class identity and social activities

BACKGROUND

Subjective well-being has a significant impact on an individual's physical and mental health. Socioeconomic status, class identity, and social activity participation play important roles in subjective well-being. Therefore, the aim of this study was to uncover the mechanisms through which these factors influence subjective well-being.

METHODS

A total of 1926 valid samples were recruited using the Chinese General Social Survey 2021 (CGSS 2021). The Chinese Citizen's Subjective Well-Being Scale (SWBS-CC) was employed to assess subjective well-being. Socioeconomic status was measured using income and education, and class identity and social activity participation were measured using Likert scales. Pearson correlation analysis and the chain mediation model were conducted to explore the relationship between these factors. Finally, the Bootstrap method was used to examine the path coefficients.

RESULTS

A significant correlation was found between socioeconomic status, class identity, social activity, and subjective well-being (p < 0.01). The indirect effect of socioeconomic status on subjective well-being mediated by class identity was 0.351 (95% CI: 0.721, 1.587), while the indirect effect of socioeconomic status on subjective well-being mediated by social activity was 0.380 (95% CI: 0.059, 0.240). The effect mediated by both class status and social activities was 0.011 (95% CI: 0.010, 0.093).

CONCLUSIONS

The study showed that socioeconomic status, class identity, and social activity had significant effects on subjective well-being. Class identity and social activity partially mediated the effects of socioeconomic status on subjective well-being, and they had a chain mediating effect between socioeconomic status and subjective well-being. Therefore, policymakers have the opportunity to enhance subjective well-being in lower socioeconomic status groups by promoting individual class identity and encouraging greater social activity participation.

The impact of internet use on residents' happiness in China

Using data from the 2018 Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS), this study investigates the impact of internet use on residents' happiness. Empirical results show that internet use significantly enhances residents' happiness. Considering the possible endogeneity problem, a two-stage tool variable estimation is carried out with ownership of a mobile phone as the tool variable. After overcoming the endogenous problem and conducting a series of robustness tests, the conclusion is still valid. The action mechanism finds that social interaction frequency and socioeconomic status (SES) play significant mediating effects in the process of internet use affecting happiness. Specifically, internet use significantly increases the social interaction frequency of residents and enhances their SES. The improvement of social interaction frequency and SES will significantly increase residents' happiness. Therefore, this paper gives policy recommendations from the perspectives of regulating and deepening internet use, increasing the frequency of communication among residents, and improving their SES to better enhance their happiness.

The longitudinal associations between perceived importance of the internet and depressive symptoms among a sample of Chinese adults

Objective

The aim of this study is to examine the extent to which individuals' cognitive evaluation of the importance of the Internet is associated with depressive symptoms, and in what ways.

Methods

This study utilized a sample of 4,100 participants from the fourth (2016), fifth (2018), and sixth (2020) waves of the China Family Panel Studies. Structural equation modeling was employed for data analysis.

Result

The findings of this study reveal that individuals' cognitive evaluation of the importance of the Internet in 2016 was positively linked with the frequency of Internet use and subjective socioeconomic status in 2018. Furthermore, the frequency of Internet use and subjective socioeconomic status in 2018 were found to be negatively associated with depressive symptoms in 2020. These results indicate that the perceived importance of the Internet has an indirect effect on depressive symptoms through the identified pathway.

Conclusion

The present findings contribute to the existing literature by highlighting the importance of individuals' perceived importance of the internet as a significant factor that influences depressive symptoms. The results suggest that policy makers should take actions to increase public awareness of the importance of the Internet in the digital era, and to ensure equitable access to the internet, thus facilitating convenient internet use and helping individuals adapt to the digital age.

COVID-19 and employee job performance trajectories: The moderating effect of different sources of status

This study investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on employee job performance trajectories, and further examines the moderating effects of different sources of status. Drawing from event system theory (EST), we propose that employee job performance decreases upon COVID-19 onset, but gradually increases during the postonset period. Furthermore, we argue that status from society, occupation, and workplace functions to moderate such performance trajectories. We test our hypotheses with a unique dataset of 708 employees that combines survey responses and job performance archival data over 21 consecutive months (10,808 observations) spanning the preonset, onset, and postonset periods of the initial encounter with COVID-19 in China. Utilizing discontinuous growth modeling (DGM), our findings indicate that the onset of COVID-19 created an immediate decrease in job performance, but such decrease was weakened by higher occupation and/or workplace status. However, the postonset period resulted in a positive employee job performance trajectory, which was strengthened for employees with lower occupational status. These findings enrich our understanding of COVID-19's impact on employee job performance trajectories, highlight the role of status in moderating such changes over time, and also provide practical implications to understand employee performance when facing such a crisis.

The Effects of Subjective Social Class on Subjective Well-Being and Mental Health: A Moderated Mediation Model

In recent decades, China's rapid economic growth has substantially improved average living standards; however, this has not been accompanied by greater happiness among the Chinese population. This phenomenon is known as the Easterlin Paradox (i.e., there is no link between a society's economic development and its average level of happiness) in Western countries. This study examined the effects of subjective social class on subjective well-being and mental health in China. Consequently, we found that individuals in a relatively low social class had lower levels of subjective well-being and mental health; self-class discrepancy partially explains the relationship between subjective social class and subjective well-being and fully explains the relationship between subjective social class and mental health; and subjective social mobility moderates the path from self-class discrepancy to subjective well-being and mental health. These findings suggest that enhancing social mobility is an important method for reducing class differences in subjective well-being and mental health. These results have important implications, indicating that enhancing social mobility is an important method for reducing class differences in subjective well-being and mental health in China.

Investigating associations between cognitive empathy, affective empathy and anxiety in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is strongly associated with socio-cognitive impairments that may result in vulnerability to other mental health conditions, particularly anxiety disorders. This study examined the relationship between anxiety disorders and two key socio-cognitive impairments (cognitive empathy, affective empathy) in 60 adolescents (aged 11-18 years) with and without ASD. Adolescents with ASD showed cognitive empathy was negatively associated with separation anxiety disorder, whereas positive associations between affective empathy and generalized anxiety disorder, and positive marginal associations between affective empathy, social phobia, total anxiety, and separation anxiety disorder were observed. These findings suggest that cognitive and affective empathy show different patterns of associations with anxiety-related issues in ASD, and these differences should be considered for interventions and treatment programs.

The Influence of Subjective Socioeconomic Status on Life Satisfaction: The Chain Mediating Role of Social Equity and Social Trust

Life satisfaction is significantly influenced by social capital, a key sociological term that links people to their social surroundings. Through a survey of 17,217 Chinese residents, this study investigated the probable processes of how subjective socioeconomic status affects life satisfaction within the framework of social capital. The results indicate that there is a positive correlation between subjective socioeconomic status and life satisfaction. Subjective socioeconomic status influences citizens' life satisfaction not only through the independent mediating effects of perceived social equity and social trust, but also through the chain mediation of perceived social equity and social trust. This research advances our knowledge of the mechanisms behind the association between subjective socioeconomic status and life satisfaction. In improving citizens' life satisfaction, we should not only provide sufficient subjective socioeconomic status to improve it, but also focus on the improvement of their social equity perceptions and social trust.

Non-Pathological Psychological Distress among Mainland Chinese in Canada and Its Sociodemographic Risk Factors amidst the Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated health inequalities, with a potentially heightened mental health risk for Mainland Chinese in Canada, given the rising anti-Chinese discrimination, and barriers in assessing health services. In this context, this study aimed to assess non-pathological psychological distress towards COVID-19 and identify its sociodemographic risk factors among Mainland Chinese in Canada at the early stages of the pandemic.

METHODS

A sample of 731 Mainland Chinese aged 16 or older completed an on-line survey to examine their attitudes, behavioural, and psychological responses towards COVID-19. Non-pathological psychological distress was assessed with a 7-item self-report scale to capture common emotional reactions towards COVID-19.

RESULTS

A factor analysis revealed a single-factor structure of the 7-item COVID-19 psychological distress scale (Eigen λ = 3.79). A composite psychological distress index (PDI) score was calculated from these items and used as the outcome variable. Multivariate regression models identified age, financial satisfaction, health status, and perceived/experienced discrimination as significant predictors of psychological distress (ps ≤ 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Mainland Chinese in Canada who were over 25, in poor financial/health status, or with perceived/experienced discrimination were at a higher risk for COVID-19-related psychological distress. The health inequity across these factors would inform the services to mitigate mental health risk in minority groups.

Association between socioeconomic status and mental health among China’s migrant workers: A moderated mediation model

Mental health problems are prevalent among China’s internal migrant workers. However, research on the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and mental health is insufficient. Therefore, this study, utilizing the China’s National Dynamic Monitoring Survey data from a sample of 15,997 migrant workers aged 15–59 years to explore differences in the relationship between migrants’ objective and subjective SES and mental health status in 2015. Both the mediating effect of perceived interpersonal discrimination and the moderating effect of age were examined through structural equation modeling. The results indicated that subjective SES has a stronger direct relationship with mental health than objective SES. Perceived interpersonal discrimination mediated the association between subjective SES and mental health. Furthermore, a much stronger relationship was found between subjective SES and perceived interpersonal discrimination among migrants older than 24 years of age than younger migrant groups. The results showed that, compared with traditional objective SES indicators, subjective SES could be a more sensitive index for identifying those migrant workers with a high risk of mental health problems. In addition, reducing interpersonal discrimination toward migrants can alleviate their mental health problems. And we should pay more attention to older migrant workers since they are more likely to prone to interpersonal discrimination and mental health issues.

A moderated mediation mechanism underlying the impact of website telepresence on purchase intention - Evidence from Chinese female college student customers

Telepresence in e-commerce, the feeling of resembling shopping in a physical store, plays a critical role in determining online purchase intention. However, the cognitive mechanism and boundary conditions about its effect still need further investigation. The current study construed flow experience and socioeconomic status as important variables and developed a moderated mediation model for their roles in the effect of telepresence. The model was supported by our study where a group of Chinese female college students participated in simulated online apparel shopping and completes relevant questionnaire surveys. The results show that: (1) website telepresence predicts positively the purchase intention of females, (2) flow experience mediates the impact of website telepresence on purchase intention, and (3) the relationship between website telepresence and flow experience could be moderated by socioeconomic status, namely, females with higher socioeconomic status demonstrate stronger mediation of flow experience. These findings can help researchers and online retailers understand the flow concept in e-commerce and formulate marketing strategies to retain consumers with different socioeconomic statuses.

Positive affect decreases the negative association between social mobility belief and physical health among Chinese rural-to-urban migrant adolescents

OBJECTIVE

The belief in upward social mobility promotes the mental health and social adaptation of disadvantaged adolescents. However, efforts for upward mobility may facilitate psychosocial adaptation while undermining physical health for minority youth from disadvantaged backgrounds. Therefore, we aimed to examine how social mobility belief is associated with mental and physical health among Chinese rural-to-urban migrant adolescents and explore whether positive affect acts as a protective factor moderating these relationships.

METHOD

A total of 158 rural-to-urban migrant adolescents aged 10-14 completed a self-report questionnaire and underwent medical examination.

RESULTS

Social mobility belief and positive affect were positively related to mental health (general self-efficacy). Positive affect interacted with social mobility belief in predicting physical health (self-rated health and allostatic load). For migrant adolescents with low levels of positive affect, strong belief in social mobility was associated with poor self-rated health and high allostatic load. For migrant adolescents with high levels of positive affect, their physical health was better and not associated with social mobility belief.

CONCLUSIONS

Social mobility belief showed a double-edged sword effect; it was positively associated with mental adaptation while negatively associated with physical health among Chinese rural-to-urban migrant adolescents. Positive affect acted as a protective factor for decreasing the negative association between social mobility belief and physical health.

Association Between Intergenerational Support, Social Integration, and Subjective Well-Being Among Migrant Elderly Following Children in Jinan, China

Background

In China, as domestic urbanization progresses and immigration expands, an increasing number of older people are choosing to follow their migrant children to new cities. Such people are referred to as "migrant elderly following children." However, few studies have explored the subjective well-being of these older adults. The present study aims to investigate the factors that influence the subjective well-being of this population of older adults.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted among 656 older migrants who had followed their children to Jinan, Shandong Province, China. Multistage cluster random sampling was used. Binary logistic regression analyses were performed to explore, the relationships between intergenerational support, social integration, and subjective well-being.

Results

Overall, 96.3% of the older migrants showed good subjective well-being. Analysis of intergenerational support showed that those who had a female child (odds ratio [OR] = 0.401, 95% confidence interval [95%CI]: 0.180, 0.893) and those whose children had terrible conjugal relationships (OR = 0.223, 95% CI: 0.099, 0.504) were less likely to have better subjective well-being. Analysis of social integration showed that migrants who liked their current city (OR = 5.358, 95%CI: 1. 631, 17.599) and those who had a basic understanding of the local dialect (OR = 2.869, 95%CI: 1.203, 6.843) were more likely to have good subjective well-being. Migrants who had used in-patient service in the past year (OR = 0.216, 95%CI: 0.094, 0.497) were more likely to have poor subjective well-being.

Conclusion

Intergenerational support and social integration are positively associated with the subjective well-being of migrant elderly following children in China. Efforts should be made, including the creation of specialized policies, to improve the family atmosphere of such migrants and their integration into their new cities, as this would contribute to improving their subjective well-being.

Social Class-Based Discrimination and Psychological Symptoms Among Socioeconomically Disadvantaged College Students: The Moderated Mediation Role of Stress Mindset and Rumination

Discrimination as a crucial stressor damages the mental health of socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals through increased ruminative thinking. A "stress-is-enhancing" mindset may protect the mental health of socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals under the pressures of perceived discrimination and rumination. This study examined the mediating role of rumination and the moderating role of stress mindset in the relationship between perceived discrimination and psychological symptoms among socioeconomically disadvantaged college students. A total of 919 socioeconomically disadvantaged undergraduate students (48.4% female, ages 17-25) were recruited. The results indicated that perceived discrimination was positively associated with psychological symptoms among socioeconomically disadvantaged undergraduate students through rumination (B = 0.11, boot SE = 0.01, boot 95% CIs = [0.08, 0.13]). Importantly, stress mindset moderated the indirect association between perceived discrimination and psychological distress through rumination (B = -0.18, boot SE = 0.08, boot 95% CIs = [-0.32, -0.03]). Specifically, compared with individuals with low levels of the stress-is-enhancing mindset, the indirect effect of perceived discrimination on psychological distress through rumination was weaker among individuals with high levels of the stress-is-enhancing mindset. The findings provide support for future intervention practice to promote a stress-is-enhancing mindset to protect the mental health of socioeconomically disadvantaged college students under the pressures of perceived discrimination and rumination.

Subjective Social Mobility among Migrant Children in China

Little scholarly attention has been paid to the relationship between children’s subjective social mobility and their “social ecology”. Children’s subjective social mobility is about how they perceive their future social position compared to their parents’. Social ecology refers to the influential multi-layered surrounding factors, including family, school, and community. We analyzed data from structured questionnaires completed by 2221 migrant children (1296 boys and 925 girls, with a mean age of 11.7 years) from three private schools in Guangzhou and Foshan, China. The findings indicate that participants anticipated a significant improvement in their future social status. Of the factors influencing this belief, community integration has the most significant impact (TE = 0.246), followed by school integration (TE = 0.220) and family socioeconomic status (TE = 0.053). We also found that children’s self-concept plays a role in their perceptions of social mobility. Based on the study results, we propose recommendations to provide migrant children additional protection and enhance their living environment.

Group Heterogeneity of Rural Households’ Satisfaction with Good Life from the Perspective of Rural Revitalization—A Case Study from Zhejiang Province of China

In the context of rural revitalization, this article explores the group heterogeneity and influencing factors of the satisfaction of rural households’ good life in five dimensions, including industry and economy, living environment, rural culture, rural governance, and material life, and provides micro evidence and policy suggestions for the specific strategies of deepening rural revitalization and improving the satisfaction level of rural households’ good life. Based on the field survey data in rural areas of Zhejiang Province, this article analyzes the group heterogeneity of rural households’ satisfaction with a good life through latent profile analysis and further reveals the influencing factors through multinomial logistic regression. The results indicate that most dimensions of rural households’ satisfaction with good life, except rural culture in Zhejiang, are higher than average. The rural households’ satisfaction with good life presents obvious group differences, which are aggregated into three latent classes: very-satisfied class, medium-satisfied class, and low-satisfied class. The results of multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that subjective psychological evaluation, such as communication, self-confidence, and village status evaluation, had significant positive effects on the group category of good life satisfaction. The proportion of non-agricultural income and the level of per-capita family income have a significant negative influence on the group category of good life satisfaction, and the condition of public service at the village level has a significant positive influence on the group category of good life satisfaction. The satisfaction of rural households on sanitary toilet environment, New Year celebration, cultural activities in the countryside, work of village committee, fair treatment of village affairs, and soliciting opinions of village affairs were not high. Lack of self-confidence in communication and other subjective psychological factors and poor public service conditions at the village level are the important reasons for this. Therefore, measures should be taken to deepen the construction of rural civilization, build a multi-path and long-term mechanism to increase farmers’ income, and make up for the shortage of rural infrastructure and public services.

Associations of family subjective socioeconomic status with hedonic and eudaimonic well-being in emerging adulthood: A daily diary study

Empirical evidence based on retrospective measures has shown that family subjective socioeconomic status (FSSS) was connected to well-being, but few studies have examined this relationship using a daily diary design. Here, we examined the link between FSSS and well-being as well as the mediating roles of social support and self-esteem in a total of 220 emerging adults using a 14-day daily diary design. The multilevel regression analysis found that FSSS positively predicted two types of well-being, including hedonic well-being (HWB) and eudaimonic well-being (EWB). Moreover, the multilevel 2-2-1 mediation analysis indicated that social support and self-esteem performed as independent mediators of the associations between FSSS and two types of well-being. The mediating effect of self-esteem also had no significant difference from that of social support. Furthermore, when age, gender, and family objective socioeconomic status were controlled, these findings remained significant. The implications and limitations of the findings are also discussed.

Patterns of a structural covariance network associated with dispositional optimism during late adolescence

Dispositional optimism (hereinafter, optimism), as a vital character strength, reflects the tendency to hold generalized positive expectancies for future outcomes. A great number of studies have consistently shown the importance of optimism to a spectrum of physical and mental health outcomes. However, less attention has been given to the intrinsic neurodevelopmental patterns associated with interindividual differences in optimism. Here, we investigated this important question in a large sample comprising 231 healthy adolescents (16-20 years old) via structural magnetic resonance imaging and behavioral tests. We constructed individual structural covariance networks based on cortical gyrification using a recent novel approach combining probability density estimation and Kullback-Leibler divergence and estimated global (global efficiency, local efficiency and small-worldness) and regional (betweenness centrality) properties of these constructed networks using graph theoretical analysis. Partial correlations adjusted for age, sex and estimated total intracranial volume showed that optimism was positively related to global and local efficiency but not small-worldness. Partial least squares correlations indicated that optimism was positively linked to a pronounced betweenness centrality pattern, in which twelve cognition-, emotion-, and motivation-related regions made robust and reliable contributions. These findings remained basically consistent after additionally controlling for family socioeconomic status and showed significant correlations with optimism scores from 2.5 years before, which replicated the main findings. The current work, for the first time, delineated characteristics of the cortical gyrification covariance network associated with optimism, extending previous neurobiological understandings of optimism, which may navigate the development of interventions on a neural network level aimed at raising optimism.

Changes in Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior in Chinese Young Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Repeated-Measure Study throughout One Year

Though we know physical activity (PA) decreased while sedentary behavior (SB) increased compared to that before the COVID-19 pandemic, little is known about subsequent changes in PA and SB throughout one year in the post-pandemic era. This study aimed to examine the changes in PA and SB in a sample of Chinese young adults using a four-wave repeated-measure design during the pandemic. A total of 411 participants provided self-reported data of sociodemographic characteristics (e.g., sex, age), PA, and SB. Nonparametric tests and generalized estimating equations were conducted. Results revealed significant changes in moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA), light PA (LPA), and SB. The MVPA of Wave 1, 2, and 3 was significantly less than that of Wave 4 (p < 0.001); the LPA of Wave 1 and 2 was significantly less than that of Wave 4; the SB of Wave 1 was significantly more than that of Wave 4 (p < 0.05). Being female was the only predictor of changes in MVPA (Beta = −0.311, p< 0.001). Being female (Beta = 0.115, p = 0.003) and perceived family affluence (Beta = −0.059, p< 0.001) were predictors of changes in SB. As such, PA was less, while SB was more during the early stages of the pandemic. With the progress of the pandemic stages, health behaviors in young adults have been gradually improved. Sex and perceived family affluence were two important factors in predicting health behaviors. Our results can inform efficient policies or interventions in the COVID-19 era and future similar public health events.

Influence of Subjective/Objective Status and Possible Pathways of Young Migrants' Life Satisfaction and Psychological Distress in China

Young migrants have been the major migrant labor force in urban China. But they may be more vulnerable in quality of life and mental health than other groups, due to their personal characteristic and some social/community policies or management measures. It highlights the need to focus on psychological wellbeing and probe driving and reinforcing factors that influence their mental health. This study aimed to investigate the influence of subjective/objective status and possible pathways of young migrants' life satisfaction and psychological distress. Data on 9838 young migrants in the China Migrants Dynamic Survey were analyzed by LISREL 8.8. A total of 94.03% migrated for jobs or business. Subjective status, including subjective socioeconomic status, social adaptation, and psychological integration, had positive effects on life satisfaction, whereas social adaptation and psychological integration negatively affected psychological distress. Objective status, including objective socioeconomic status and health insurance, had adverse effects on life satisfaction, whereas they positively affected psychological distress. Social participation and city belonging had only significant positive mediating roles on life satisfaction. It is essential to increase social adaptation and decrease integration stress according to younger internal migrants' practical needs. It is also necessary to enhance community/social resources and activities in the context of developing sustainability in the community to assist in mental health promotion.

Impact of parental socioeconomic status on offspring's mental health: protocol for a longitudinal community-based study

INTRODUCTION

Socioeconomic status (SES) affects physical and mental health and cognitive functioning. The association between SES changes (SES mobility) and health has ethical and political implications in that the pernicious effects of inequality and the differential impact on social classes of economic and social policies. There is a lack of research conducted to explore the intergenerational transmission of parental SES changes on the offspring's mental health and cognitive functioning. We aim to fill this gap and identify roles of parental SES changes in offspring's mental health and cognitive outcomes.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This study will be based on a longitudinal cohort from the most populous municipality in the Canadian province of Quebec. Participants and their biological offspring will be invited to this study. For those with informed consent, we will collect their information on mental health, psychiatric disorders, cognitive functioning and early life experiences for offspring. Latent class growth analysis will be used to identify parental SES mobility groups. Multivariate regression analyses will be used to explore the roles of early life stress, parental SES mobility and their interactions in psychiatric disorders and cognitive functioning. Subgroup analyses (males and females) are also planned.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This study has been given ethical approval by the Research Ethics Board of the Douglas Mental Health University Institute (IUSMD-18/17). Each participant will provide informed consent on participation. We will disseminate research findings through publication in peer-reviewed academic journals and presentations at conferences. Lay summaries of major research findings will also be shared annually with our partners in the health system and community agencies located in the catchment area.

Association between depressive symptoms and objective/subjective socioeconomic status among older adults of two regions in Myanmar

Low objective socioeconomic status (SES) has been correlated with poor physical and mental health among older adults. Some studies suggest that subjective SES is also important for ensuring sound physical and mental health among older adults. However, few studies have been conducted on the impact of both objective and subjective SES on mental health among older adults. This study examines whether objective or subjective SES is associated with depressive symptoms in older adults in Myanmar. This cross-sectional study, conducted between September and December, 2018, used a multistage sampling method to recruit participants from two regions of Myanmar, for face-to-face interviews. The Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) was used to evaluate the depressive symptoms. Participants were classified as having no depressive symptom (GDS score <5) and having depressive symptoms (GDS score ≥5). Objective and subjective SES were assessed using the wealth index and asking participants a multiple-choice question about their current financial situation, respectively. The relationship between objective/subjective SES and depressive symptoms was examined using a multivariable logistic regression analysis. The mean age of the 1,186 participants aged 60 years and above was 69.7 (SD: 7.3), and 706 (59.5%) were female. Among them, 265 (22.3%) had depressive symptoms. After adjusting for objective SES and other covariates, only low subjective SES was positively associated with depressive symptoms (adjusted odds ratio, AOR: 4.18, 95% confidence interval, CI: 2.98-5.87). This association was stronger among participants in the rural areas (urban areas, AOR: 2.10, 95% CI: 1.08-4.05; rural areas, AOR: 5.65, 95% CI: 3.69-8.64). Subjective SES has a stronger association with depressive symptoms than objective SES, among older adults of the two regions in Myanmar, especially in the rural areas. Interventions for depression in older adults should consider regional differences in the context of subjective SES by reducing socioeconomic disparities among the communities.

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

BACKGROUND

Life 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.

METHODS

This 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.

RESULT

Life 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).

CONCLUSION

SRH 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.

Family socio-economic status and children's executive function: The moderating effects of parental subjective socio-economic status and children's subjective social mobility

Family socio-economic status (SES) is significantly related to disparities in children's executive function. Children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds perform worse on executive function tasks than their peers from high-SES families. The protective factors in the relationship between SES and executive function have not been sufficiently investigated, especially from the perspective of parents' and children's perceptions and expectations regarding SES. Therefore, this study aimed to examine whether parental subjective SES and children's subjective social mobility separately moderated the relationship between family SES and children's executive function among 885 participants aged 9-13 years. The results showed that family SES was positively related to the three components of executive function (cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control, and working memory). Moreover, the relationship between SES and cognitive flexibility was weak among the children with a high level of subjective social mobility or those whose parents had high levels of subjective SES. Among children from families with economic hardship, subjective social mobility is a potential protective factor mitigating the negative effects of low family SES on their cognitive flexibility.

The relation between subjective well-being and career aspirations amongst a sample of adolescents in low socioeconomic status communities in Cape Town

The study aimed to determine the relation between adolescents' subjective well-being and career aspirations. The study further aimed to determine the extent to which social support mediates this relation. The sample comprised 1082 adolescents in Grades 8-11, selected from schools located in low socioeconomic status communities in Cape Town, South Africa. The overall model demonstrated a nonsignificant relation between adolescents' subjective well-being and career aspirations. Across gender, the results indicated a significant relation between subjective well-being and career aspirations for the male group, but not for females. The results further indicate that social support did not mediate the relation between adolescents' subjective well-being and career aspirations for the pooled sample. However, for females, the study found a significant negative relation between social support and aspirations. We recommend targeting interventions at an institutional level, inclusive of challenging gender roles and providing information about educational and career opportunities for young people.

What Factors Influence Rural-To-Urban Migrant Peasants to Rent out Their Household Farmland? Evidence from China’s Pearl River Delta

With the accommodative policy and rapid urbanization in China, large-scale migration of rural-to-urban peasants seeking nonagricultural employment has occurred. This has led to farmland rental, which is considered an effective means of land arrangement. Multiple variables were selected to examine the influencing factors of land rental for rural–urban peasants in China by using survey data collected in six core cities of the Pearl River Delta and a logistic regression model. This study revealed that benefits, household members, and urban living conditions and urban integration are factors that affect land rental. According to the results, improvements in working conditions, urban social insurance and urban integration, annual gross household income, and secure land ownership can promote land rental, whereas stronger hometown connections and parenting inhibit land rental. Women and youth excluded from China’s previous land allocation hold complex attitudes toward land rental, with age and sex statistically significant variables affecting land rental. We underscore the influence of family members and urban living conditions for land rental, which were ignored in earlier studies, to provide suggestions for future policy development, with an emphasis on the land rental market and redistribution of idle land.

Experiences of discrimination and self-reported health in Chinese migrants: a structural equation model

Background

Many migrants suffer from discrimination and poor health in China. We sought to examine the associations between experiences of discrimination and self-reported health among internal migrants in China, as well as the mediators of social integration and perceived stress.

Methods

The data was obtained from a specific survey of migrants, as a part of the National Health and Family Planning Dynamic Monitoring for Migrants conducted in 2014. A total of 15,999 migrants aged 15 to 59 years were recruited by a stratified, multistage clustered sampling procedure in eight Chinese cities. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was conducted.

Results

The results indicated that experiences of discrimination were associated with worse self-reported health (β = − 0.32, P < 0.001), less social integration (β = − 0.25, P < 0.001), as well as higher perceived stress (β = 0.21, P < 0.01). Both objectively measured socioeconomic status (β = 0.21, P < 0.001) and subjective social status (β = 0.21, P < 0.01) had significantly positive correlations with self-reported health.

Conclusions

The discrimination, social exclusion and perceived stress experienced by migrants have significant implications on their health.

Family socio-economic status and children's academic achievement: The different roles of parental academic involvement and subjective social mobility

BACKGROUND

Low family socio-economic status (SES) is usually associated with children's poor academic achievement, but the mechanisms underlying this relationship are less understood.

AIMS

The present study examined the mediating role of parental academic involvement and the moderating role of parental subjective social mobility in this relationship with cross-sectional data.

SAMPLE AND METHODS

A total of 815 fourth- to sixth-grade children were recruited from five elementary schools in China. Family SES (measured by parents' education, parents' occupation and family income) and parental subjective social mobility were obtained directly from parents, parental academic involvement was reported by children, and information on children's academic achievement was collected from their teachers.

RESULTS

The results showed that (1) both family SES and parental academic involvement were positively correlated with children's Chinese and math achievement, (2) parental academic involvement mediated the relationships between family SES and children's Chinese and math achievement, and (3) parental subjective social mobility moderated the path from family SES to parental academic involvement. The models of children's Chinese and math achievement showed that the association between family SES and parental academic involvement was weak among children's parents who reported high levels of subjective social mobility.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that there is a pathway from family SES to children's academic achievement through parental academic involvement and that this pathway is dependent on the level of parental subjective social mobility.

Family Socioeconomic Status and Adolescents' Academic Achievement: The Moderating Roles of Subjective Social Mobility and Attention

Adolescents with low family socioeconomic status (SES) often have lower academic achievement than their peers with high family SES. However, less is known about the personal buffering mechanisms on the relationship between low family SES and academic achievement for youth. To address adolescents' academic achievement gap related to family SES, this study aimed to test whether family SES predicted adolescents' academic achievement and whether adolescents' subjective social mobility and attention moderated this relationship with longitudinal data. Valid participants included 827 adolescents (M_age = 12.30 years, range: 11-14 years, SD = 0.87, and 40.99% girls) from five township public schools in China. The results showed that family SES (comprising parents' education, parents' occupation, and family income) was positively correlated with adolescents' academic achievement (i.e., Chinese and math) when controlling for prior academic achievement. The positive associations between family SES and both Chinese and math achievement 9 months later were nonsignificant for adolescents with higher levels of subjective social mobility. In addition, the positive effect of family SES on Chinese achievement 9 months later was nonsignificant among adolescents with higher levels of attention. In conclusion, low family SES impairs adolescents' Chinese and math achievement, high levels of adolescents' subjective social mobility can buffer the adverse effects of low family SES on both Chinese and math achievement, and high levels of adolescents' attention can buffer the adverse effects of family SES on Chinese achievement but not on math achievement. These findings may emphasize the significance of developing differential interventions aimed at specific subject achievement for adolescents with low family SES.

Socioeconomic Status and Psychological Well-Being: Revisiting the Role of Subjective Socioeconomic Status

Socioeconomic status (SES) is a complex and multidimensional construct, encompassing both independent objective characteristics (e.g., income or education) and subjective people's ratings of their placement in the socioeconomic spectrum. Within the growing literature on subjective SES belongingness and psychological well-being, subjective indices of SES have tended to center on the use of pictorial rank-related social ladders where individuals place themselves relative to others by simultaneously considering their income, educational level, and occupation. This approach, albeit consistent with the idea of these social ladders as summative or cognitive SES markers, might potentially constrain individuals' conceptions of their SES. This research (N = 368; M age = 39.67, SD = 13.40) is intended to expand prior investigations on SES and psychological well-being by revisiting the role of subjective SES. In particular, it (a) proposes an innovative adaptation of the traditional MacArthur Scale of subjective SES to income, education, and occupation, thus resulting in three separate social ladders; and (b) tests the empirical contribution of such three social ladders to psychological well-being. Overall, our findings showed that the novel education and occupation ladders (excluding the income ladder) are predictive of a significant part of the variance levels of psychological well-being that is not due to canonical objective metrics of SES (i.e., income, education, and occupation), or to the conventional MacArthur Scale of subjective SES. Although preliminary, these results underscore the need to further reconsider (subjective) SES-related conceptualization and measurement strategies to gather a more comprehensive understanding of the SES-psychological well-being link.

The effects of social integration and hometown identity on the life satisfaction of Chinese rural migrants: the mediating and moderating effects of a sense of belonging in the host city

Background

Many developing countries are rapidly urbanising because of large migration flows from rural to urban areas. However, migrants’ socio-cultural transitions might be challenging, and their extent of social integration and sense of hometown identity might impede resettlement and quality of life. Although a sense of belonging in the host city and a sense of attachment to the hometown might be important to migrants’ ability to assimilate, adapt and succeed in a new place, these factors have not adequately been studied in China.

Methods

The data were derived from the 2014 China Migrants Dynamic Survey, a large-scale questionnaire survey of Chinese migrants. This study’s sample comprised 15,990 individuals in eight Chinese cities. Life satisfaction was measured with the Satisfaction with Life Scale, and the key independent variables (social integration, sense of hometown identity and sense of belonging in the host city) were measured using multi-item constructs. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients on the four main variables were 0.76 to 0.90. A multivariable linear regression analysis was applied to a path model that assessed the mediating and moderating effects of sense of belonging in the host city on direct relationships with life satisfaction (social integration ⇢ life satisfaction and hometown identity ⇢ life satisfaction).

Results

Social integration positively related to life satisfaction (B = 0.267) and sense of belonging in the host city (B = 0.912). A weak hometown identity related to higher life satisfaction and stronger sense of belonging in the host city (B = 0.087 and B = 0.176, respectively). Sense of belonging in the host city significantly mediated the relationships between social integration and life satisfaction (B = 0.267 decreased to B = 0.085) and between hometown identity and life satisfaction (B = 0.087 decreased to B = 0.048). Last, sense of belonging in the host city significantly moderated the relationship between social integration and life satisfaction.

Conclusion

A sense of belonging to a place is important to migrants’ life satisfaction regarding the hometown and the host city. Promoting migrants’ sense that they are part of the new living environment is important to China’s sustainable urban development.

Socioeconomic position and quality of life among older people: The mediating role of social support

Social support can obscure social gradients in health, but its role as a mediator between socioeconomic position (SEP) and quality of life (QoL) in older populations remains unknown. We aimed to examine to what extent social support mediates the association between SEP and overall QoL among older adults (aged 60-84 years). We studied a population-based cohort of 585 noninstitutionalized adults in Porto, Portugal, who were evaluated in 2009. Education, occupation, and perceived income adequacy were used as SEP indicators. The WHOQOL-OLD was used to determine overall QoL. Social support was assessed using the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Path analysis was conducted to quantify direct, indirect, and total effects of SEP on QoL. There was a positive total effect of education on QoL (β = 0.28; 95% CI: 0.05-0.48). In this model, we found an indirect effect through social support (β = 0.15; 95% CI: 0.05-0.26), explaining 54% of the pathway between education and QoL. A similar pattern was identified for the association between occupation and QoL. Perceived income adequacy had a total effect of 2.74 (95% CI: 1.68-3.93) on QoL. Although an indirect effect through social support was found (β = 0.98; 95% CI: 0.42-1.55), a direct effect from this variable remained (β = 1.76; 95% CI: 0.65-2.90). Social support can be a mechanism through which SEP impacts the QoL of older people. Strengthening social support ties may attenuate the impact of social inequalities and improve the QoL of this population.

Neural correlates of social well-being: gray matter density in the orbitofrontal cortex predicts social well-being in emerging adulthood

Social well-being reflects the perception of one’s social functioning, which plays an important role in physical and psychological health. However, the exact neuroanatomical substrate for social well-being remains unclear. To address the issue, we employed the voxel-based morphometry method to probe the neuroanatomical basis of individual variation in social well-being in young healthy adults (n = 136). The results revealed a significant negative association between social well-being and regional gray matter density (rGMD) in an anatomical cluster that mainly includes the left orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) that has been involved in emotion regulation and social cognition. Furthermore, a balanced 4-fold cross-validation using the machine learning approach revealed that rGMD in the left OFC could be reliably related to social well-being. More importantly, the multiple mediation analysis revealed that neuroticism and dispositional forgiveness independently mediated the association between rGMD in the left OFC and social well-being. In addition, all these results remained stable when subjective socioeconomic status was controlled. Together, our results provide the initial evidence that the OFC is a neuroanatomical substrate for social well-being and demonstrate that the OFC is a crucial neural site linking neuroticism and dispositional forgiveness to social well-being.

Socioeconomic disparities in psychological health: Testing the Reserve Capacity Model in a population-based sample of Chinese migrants

Based on the Reserve Capacity Model, this study investigated the associations of objective socioeconomic status and subjective social status with psychological health and the underlying psychosocial mechanisms in a population-based sample of Chinese migrants (n = 15,999). Results showed that subjective social status was positively associated with life satisfaction and self-rated health through the mediation of psychological distress and perceived stress. Whereas education showed a very weak association with life satisfaction, income was directly associated with life satisfaction only. The findings suggest that reducing psychosocial vulnerabilities may be a potential impetus to eliminate socioeconomic health disparities among Chinese migrants.

Absolute Income, Income Inequality and the Subjective Well-Being of Migrant Workers in China: Toward an Understanding of the Relationship and Its Psychological Mechanisms

No study has been conducted linking Chinese migrants’ subjective well-being (SWB) with urban inequality. This paper presents the effects of income and inequality on their SWB using a total of 128,000 answers to a survey question about “happiness”. We find evidence for a satiation point above which higher income is no longer associated with greater well-being. Income inequality is detrimental to well-being. Migrants report lower SWB levels where income inequality is higher, even after controlling for personal income, a large set of individual characteristics, and province dummies. We also find striking differences across socio-economic and geographic groups. The positive effect of income is more pronounced for rural and western migrants, and is shown to be significantly correlated with the poor’s SWB but not for the well-being of more affluent respondents. Interestingly, high-income earners are more hurt by income inequality than low-income respondents. Moreover, compared with migrants in other regions, those in less developed Western China are found to be more averse to income inequality. Our results are quite robust to different specifications. We provide novel explanations for these findings by delving into psychological channels, including egalitarian preferences, social comparison concerns, expectations, perceived fairness concerns and perceived social mobility.

Stressful Life Events, Depression, and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Among Chinese Left-Behind Children: Moderating Effects of Self-Esteem

Using cross-sectional data of the children in the Guizhou Province of China, the present study examined the association between stressful life events and self-esteem, depression, and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). The participants included 1,210 children recruited from four junior high schools. Self-report questionnaires concerned stressful life events, self-esteem, depression, and NSSI. Results indicated that Chinese left-behind children who faced more stressful life events were more likely to engage in depression and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). Moreover, self-esteem moderated the association between stressful life events and depression, and the association between stressful life events and NSSI. For the left-behind children reporting higher levels of self-esteem, the negative effect of stressful life events on depression and NSSI appeared weaker, compared to those who reported lower levels of self-esteem. In addition, the left-behind type also has a moderating effect on the relationship between stressful life events and NSSI. With the increase of stressful life events, the NSSI among the one-migrating-parent group grows more rapidly than that among the two-migrating-parents group. The findings suggest that self-esteem and left-behind type are important individual factors for Chinese left-behind children.

Family socioeconomic status and emotional adaptation among rural-to-urban migrant adolescents in China: The moderating roles of adolescent's resilience and parental positive emotion

Low family socioeconomic status (SES) is closely related to increased risk of emotional maladaptation among adolescents. Although previous studies have found that low family SES is a significant and common experience for most rural-to-urban migrant adolescents in China, little research has examined the association between family SES and emotional adaptation or identified the protective factors that may minimise emotional maladaptation among these adolescents. The present study examined the associations between family SES and three indices of emotional adaptation (emotion regulation, life satisfaction and depression) and the moderating effects of adolescents' resilience and parental positive emotion (PE) among 486 Chinese rural-to-urban migrant adolescents. The results suggest that family SES was significantly associated with migrant adolescents' emotional outcomes, to varying degrees. Moreover, both adolescents' resilience and PE moderated the associations between family SES and emotional outcomes, although the protective effects of the two moderators differed on the three emotional outcomes. These findings shed light into designing intervention and prevention programs to reduce emotional maladaptation among migrant adolescents.

Financial Planning for Retirement: A Psychosocial Perspective

Retirement is a time of life that has grown ever longer in the developed world, and the number of pensioners has increased accordingly, questioning the strength of Social Security systems and the social safety net in general. Financial Planning for Retirement (FRP) consists of the series of activities involved in the accumulation of wealth to cover needs in the post-retirement stage of life. The negative short-, mid-, and long-term consequences of inadequate Financial Planning for Retirement do not only affect individuals, but also their extended families, homes, eventually producing an unwanted impact on the entire society. The Capacity-Willingness-Opportunity Model has been proposed to understand FPR, combined with Intentional Change Theory, a framework for understanding the process, antecedents and consequences of FPR. From this perspective, we propose this promising model, but there are a large number of variables that have not been included that offer novel ways to deepen our understanding of FPR. A focus on each dimension of the model, the role of age and psychosocial variables associated with demographic indicators such as gender, health status, and migration, allow us to provide a proposal of scientific advancement of FPR.