The role of perceived social mobility in shaping youth’s sense of gain

Abstract The perception of social mobility within the youth directly affects their subjective evaluations of society and their assessments of life quality. Investigating the impact mechanisms of youth perceived social mobility on the sense of gain is essential for nurturing a positive social mindset, guiding youth to actively integrate into national strategic development, and inspiring them to persistently strive for improvement. This research comprised two experimental studies: Study 1 manipulated the perceived social mobility of youth participants through material interventions, while Study 2 introduced attributions of wealth and poverty as a moderating variable, concurrently manipulating both perceived social mobility and attributions of wealth and poverty to explore the effects of youth perceived social mobility on their sense of gain and the associated psychological mechanisms. The results indicated that: (1) Perceived social mobility positively predicts the sense of gain; (2) Social trust serves as a mediator between perceived social mobility and the sense of gain, with heightened perceived social mobility leading to increased levels of social trust among youth, which in turn enhances their sense of gain; (3) Attributions of wealth and poverty moderate the effect of individual perceived social mobility on the sense of gain. External attributions of wealth and poverty further intensify the negative influence of diminished perceived social mobility on social trust compared to internal attribution tendencies. Thus, perceived social mobility affects the sense of gain through the mediating role of social trust, with this mechanism being moderated by attributions of wealth and poverty. The findings provide valuable psychological insights and reflections on the interactive relationship between the psychological states of youth and their social environment, offering empirical support for fostering a positive and healthy social mindset among youth and promoting harmonious and stable social development.