Subjective socioeconomic status and envy in Chinese collectivist culture: The role of sense of control

Abstract

This study explored the relationship between subjective socioeconomic status (SSS) and envy, as well as the role that sense of control plays in this relationship in the Chinese collectivist culture. Participants were 927 Chinese adults (female = 64.8%; mean age = 24.52 years, SD = 4.935 years) who completed a series of questionnaires. Structural equation modelling showed that having a lower SSS was associated with a higher level of dispositional, benign, and malicious envy. Sense of control negatively mediated the relationship between SSS and dispositional, benign, and malicious envy. Multigroup analyses revealed no sex differences in either main or indirect effects. These results are related to the Chinese collectivist culture. The mediating role of sense of control is partially consistent with the social cognitive theory of social class. We propose that interventions focusing on sense of control could help reduce debilitating envy and its negative effects among lower SSS individuals.