This study examines how objective (OSES) and subjective (SSES) socioeconomic status influence adolescent moral reasoning through distinct psychological mechanisms. Analyzing 4122 Chinese adolescents (Mage = 14.38), we found SSES enhanced moral internalization via strengthened social identity, while OSES reduced moral stereotyping through cognitive flexibility. Contrary to expectations, parental emotional warmth failed to buffer against SSES-related declines in internalization, with higher SSES predicting reduced internalization across parenting contexts. Results reveal socioeconomic status operates through dual pathways—social identity processes for SSES and cognitive flexibility for OSES—while challenging assumptions about parenting’s protective role. The findings suggest tailored interventions: identity-building programs for SSES-related moral development and cognitive training for OSES-linked reasoning biases, advancing theoretical understanding of moral development in diverse socioeconomic contexts.
Li et al. (Wed,) studied this question.