Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 29, 2025

The Social Dimension of Stress: Experimental Manipulations of Social Support and Social Identity in the Trier Social Stress Test
Published on: November 19, 2015
Feeling matters: perceived social support moderates the relationship between personal relative deprivation and
1School of Sociology and Psychology, Central University of Finance and Economics, 39 South College Road, Beijing, 100081, China. sibozhao@cufe.edu.cn.
Background:
Little research describes the mechanisms underlying depressive symptoms and personal relative deprivation in Chinese populations.
Methods:
In this study, the respondents were (N = 914) residents of Beijing (17-59 years old) and robust multiple linear regressions were used to assess the main relationship between relative deprivation and depressive symptoms and social support as a potential moderator for that relationship.
Results:
Individuals who reported higher personal relative deprivation had greater depressive symptoms than those who reported lower personal relative deprivation. Perceived social support buffered the relationship between depressive symptoms and personal relative deprivation.
Conclusions:
The findings of this current study demonstrate the importance of relative deprivation for psychological strain and income in explaining how socioeconomic indices correlate with depressive symptoms. They also demonstrate the need to acknowledge the interaction of perceived social support and personal relative deprivation for influencing depression.
Related Concept Videos
Self-Discrepancy and Its Effects
Self-Discrepancy Theory
Social Relationships and Well-Being
Sources of Self-Esteem III: Social Comparison
Depressive Disorders: Etiology
Biological Factors in Depression
Biological predispositions significantly influence the risk of developing depressive disorders. Genetic studies highlight the role of variations in the serotonin transporter...
Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques V

