Social Class, Control, and Culture: Individuals with Low Socioeconomic Status Perceive Less Control in Relationally...

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Sociology
• Cross-cultural studies

Background:

• Existing research indicates a positive correlation between higher socioeconomic status (SES) and perceived control.
• The influence of sociocultural contexts on this SES-control relationship, particularly across different SES backgrounds, remains under-explored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how sociocultural contexts, specifically relational mobility, moderate the association between SES and perceived control.
• To examine the mediating role of relational mobility in cross-country differences in SES-control associations.
• To establish the causal effect of relational mobility on the SES-control relationship through experimental manipulation.

Main Methods:

• Cross-cultural comparisons of SES and perceived control across countries with varying levels of relational mobility (Studies 1 & 2).
• Mediation analysis using self-reported relational mobility to explain cross-country variations (Study 3).
• Experimental manipulation of relational mobility to determine its causal impact on the SES-control association (Study 4).

Main Results:

• The association between SES and sense of control was stronger in low-relational mobility societies compared to high-relational mobility societies.
• Lower perceived control among low-SES individuals in immobile societies significantly contributed to this amplified SES-control association.
• Relational mobility was identified as a significant mediator and a causal factor influencing the SES-control relationship.

Conclusions:

• Social environments characterized by low relational mobility exacerbate existing disparities in perceived control between high-SES and low-SES individuals.
• The findings underscore the critical role of social ecology in shaping psychological outcomes and disproportionately affecting individuals with lower SES.