Subjects: Psychology >> Social Psychology submitted time 2023-03-28 Cooperative journals: 《心理科学进展》
Abstract： Previous empirical and theoretical studies hold different views on the stability and variability of well-being (or subjective well-being). Set-point theory holds that people can psychologically adapt to the ups and downs of objective environment, and the influence of objective environment on well-being can be neglected. The individual well-being usually maintains at a certain set-point level determined by genes or personality. Dynamic equilibrium theory (and its variant— subjective well-being homeostasis theory) further emphasizes that well-being usually keeps in equilibrium level based on stable personality traits or genes, and external stimulus such as life events will cause well-being to deviate from the equilibrium level for a short time. After a period of time, well-being will return to the set-point (range) and be in dynamic equilibrium. On the basis of dynamic equilibrium theory, hedonic adaptation theory considers from the perspective of emotional adaptation that the individual well-being usually keeps at a certain equilibrium level, and external stimulus or events may cause strong positive or negative emotions, but individuals will gradually adapt to this stimulus and their emotional response will gradually weaken, so that well-being will return to the initial equilibrium level. All three theories emphasize that well-being should be maintained at a certain equilibrium level. In contrast, sustainable well-being theory holds that the factors affecting well-being include genetic factors, environmental factors and intentional activities. It emphasizes that intentional activities can cause continuous changes in well-being, which can significantly improve well-being and maintain long-term effects. The essence of the difference between these theoretical perspectives lies in how the stability and variability of well-being are viewed. On the basis of the concepts of homeostasis and allostasis in biology and the concept of transition in physics, we firstly analyze the influencing factors, processes and mechanisms of the stability and variability of well-being from the perspective of homeostasis and transition. All four theories hold that genetic factors or emotional adaptation which are inherent in individuals, can explain the stability of well-being, environmental factors can cause short-term changes in well-being, and intentional activities can cause long-term changes in well-being. Set-point theory, dynamic equilibrium theory and hedonic adaptation theory hold that well-being usually maintains at a certain equilibrium level, the process of its stability and variability is similar to homeostasis, and the adjustment mechanism is negative feedback. Sustainable well-being theory emphasizes that intentional activities can make well-being form a new equilibrium state, and its process of stability and variability is similar to allostasis. Homeostasis occurs transition, causing well-being homeostasis to adjust. Its adjustment mechanism is positive feedback. Therefore, from the perspective of homeostasis, allostasis and transition, we believe that well-being is usually within a certain set-point range, and the external stimulus may make well-being temporary deviation from the equilibrium state, after a period of time, well-being will return to the original dynamic equilibrium state, but if it is affected by strong or continuous stimulation, well-being may deviate from the set-point range for a long time and form a new homeostasis. This integrated perspective provides a new explanation framework for well-being research and has enlightening implications for the continuous improvement of well-being.
Subjects: Psychology >> Social Psychology submitted time 2023-03-27 Cooperative journals: 《心理学报》
Abstract： Moral disengagement refers to the cognitive tendency for an individual to break away from moral self-regulation. People who are morally disengaged often look for an excuse for their immoral behavior. Previous studies have mainly investigated the causes and consequences of moral disengagement at the individual level, whereas little attention has been paid to its diachronic change and the associated macro causes, particularly in China. To address these research gaps, by integrating the theoretical model of social change and psychological development with the analytical framework of socio-ecological psychology, we hypothesized that the level of moral disengagement among Chinese middle school and college students develop or change on the social time scale and that such trends are affected by the factors caused by macrosocial change during a specific period. To test these hypotheses, the present research, composed of two separate studies, examined the changing trends of moral disengagement among Chinese middle school and college students based on the findings of existing studies by conducting two cross-temporal meta-analyses, using the moral disengagement scale developed by Bandura and Caprara et al. The current research also examined the relationship between the level of moral disengagement and the macro indicators that reflect the levels of individualization and social justice of the society. In Study 1, a cross-temporal meta-analysis was performed on 79 valid articles using the moral disengagement scale developed by Bandura et al. Data of this study were collected from 2010 to 2021, with 60, 478 middle school students involved as participants. Focused on college students, Study 2 was conducted based on 54 valid papers, using both the moral disengagement scale compiled by Bandura et al. and the citizen moral disengagement scale developed by Caprara et al. Data of this study were gleaned from 2008 to 2020, involving 34, 224 college students. The results showed that: (1) from 2010 to 2021, moral disengagement level of middle school students in China showed a downward trend progressively (Study 1); (2) from 2008 to 2020, moral disengagement level among Chinese college students also declined gradually (Study 2). In the two studies, moreover, the decreasing trends of moral disengagement level among Chinese middle school and college students were negatively predicted by China’s rising individualization (including the marketization level, the urbanization level, and the divorce-to-marriage ratio) and social justice (the amount of current effective legislation). In conclusion, China has witnessed the reduction in moral disengagement among middle school and college students in the past decade. Furthermore, it was found that such declines were related to the increases in China’s individualization (emphasizing individual autonomous responsibility for their behavior) and social justice (representing more external constraints on behavior) during this period. Taken together, the current research contributes to our understanding of moral disengagement by expanding its theoretical framework from the individual level to the macro-social level based on the perspective of social change.
Subjects: Psychology >> Social Psychology submitted time 2023-03-27 Cooperative journals: 《心理学报》
Abstract： The eradication of absolute poverty is an important measure of progress in achieving social equality in China, where common prosperity is the main social goal. However, since the founding of modern-day China, it has not only changed from poverty to wealth, but also from addressing imbalances between the rich and poor to an uneven distribution of wealth. The great changes seen over the past century in China have impacted people who have adhered to the idea of equality between the rich and the poor for thousands of years, resulting in a psychological crisis of fairness. A sense of fairness is a subjective response to social equality, which is bound to fluctuate with changes in the distribution of wealth. Therefore, combined with dramatic social changes in recent decades, this paper discusses changes in residents’ sense of fairness and explores the path to resolving this equity crisis. Based on the data of the Comprehensive Survey of Chinese Society (CGSS) conducted by Renmin University in China and the survey of social conditions conducted by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CSS) from 2006 to 2017, this study examines cross-sectional data spanning ten years. The hierarchical age-period-cohort model (HAPC) is used to analyze trends in changes in Chinese people’s sense of fairness in three time dimensions: age, period, and birth cohort. The study found that sense of fairness has a significant time effect in China. (1) The sense of fairness among middle-aged adults was lower than among younger and older adults. (2) The sense of fairness was high in 2008, trended lower from 2010 to 2013, and started to rise again after 2015. (3) Before the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the sense of fairness of the birth cohort was low. The sense of fairness of the birth cohort was high in the early days of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, but it has been lower since the birth cohort of 1953. In the early 1960s, the sense of fairness in the birth cohort rebounded, but after that, it continued to decline. The sense of fairness was the lowest after 1980, but there has been a sharp upward trend since 1990. (4) There are significant differences in perceptions of fairness between urban and rural areas and level of education. This study found that although economic growth has been significant, wealth distribution has not been equitable, and that economic growth alone cannot improve social equity. These two variables jointly affect people’s sense of fairness. Under certain conditions, people do not suffer from scarcity but suffer from inequality. Addressing scarcity is the basis for improving the sense of social fairness. If the distribution system is unjust, people’s sense of fairness will be even lower. After eradicating poverty, a wealth distribution system would have obvious benefits for improving the sense of fairness. This conclusion is instructive for the implementation of China’s common prosperity policy.
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