Identifying the potential of Internet use to mitigate cognitive bias of subjective socioeconomic status: A political ideology perspective in China

Socioeconomic status has long been understood as a key factor in individuals’ attitudes, cognition, and well-being. However, less attention has been given to the determinants of subjective socioeconomic status with consideration for the disparity between objective socioeconomic status and subjective socioeconomic status. Drawing on a nation-wide survey in China, this study explores how authoritarianism, system justification, and subjective well-being impact the formation of individuals’ subjective socioeconomic status. Results indicate that system justification and subjective well-being positively affect people’s perception of social identity, while authoritarianism adversely influences this perception. In addition, Internet use is found to significantly inhibit the effects of authoritarianism and subjective well-being on subjective socioeconomic status, which mitigates Chinese people’s cognitive bias between objective socioeconomic status and subjective socioeconomic status. The research findings shed light on the relationship between political ideology, well-being, Internet use, and subjective socioeconomic status, as well as contribute to ongoing theoretical debates about how Internet use could influence the public positively.