THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIAL CLASS AND TRUST: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF POSITIVE SELF-SCHEMA

This study aimed to explore the relationship between social class and generalized trust (GT)/interpersonal trust (IT) by testing the mediating role of self-schema. A total of 551 Chinese college students (44.5% female) completed a survey regarding subjective social class (SSC), objective social class (OSC), cognitive schemas, GT, and IT. Correlational analyses indicated a significant positive correlation between OSC and SSC. SSC was significantly and positively correlated with positive self-schema (PSS), GT, and IT, and positively predicted GT/IT. However, OSC was not significantly correlated with other study variables. Mediation analysis revealed that PSS mediated the relationship between SSC and GT/IT. These findings suggest that, in terms of the relationship between SSC and OSC and GT/IT, SSC is more sensitive in its association with trust compared to OSC. The study also provides valuable insights into the complex interplay between social class and GT/IT, highlighting the importance of developing interventions aimed at fostering PSS to enhance GT/IT.