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This present study aimed to explore the relationship between upward social comparison, relative deprivation, belief in a just world, and delay discounting by surveying 614 college students. The results showed the following: (1) upward social comparison could significantly and negatively predict individuals' delay discounting; and (2) belief in a just world and relative deprivation had a chain mediating effect on the impact of upward social comparison on delay discounting. Specifically, when individuals experienced more upward social comparison, their belief in a just world will be weakened, which increased feelings of relative deprivation and ultimately led them to be more likely to choose the recent but smaller rewards and forego rewards that require waiting but are larger.

Objectives The widespread use of the Internet brings both opportunities and challenges for older adults. To understand its potential benefits and drawbacks, we focus on the association between Internet use and multiple indicators of subjective age (threshold age, felt age, and look age) and the underlying mechanisms. Methods A nationally representative sample of older adults aged 60 and over from 3 waves (collected in 2016, 2018, and 2020) of the China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey was used in the analysis. A 3-step random-effect model and mediation analysis were used to examine the relationship between Internet use and subjective age and the mediating roles of volunteering and feeling valued by society. Structural equation modeling with a serial multiple mediation model was conducted for robustness checks. Results The participants generally considered 70 as the threshold for "old age." Although the mediation analysis did not show a significant indirect effect of Internet use on older adults' subjective age through volunteering, Internet use was linked with older adults' subjective age directly and indirectly through feeling valued by society. Compared to moderate Internet users, nonusers felt less valued by society and, therefore, had a younger threshold age and older subjective ages. Heavy Internet users showed a lower level of participation in volunteer activities. Discussion The results support previous theories about the mental and social health benefits of Internet use among older adults. However, Internet use intensity should receive more attention; excessive use may reduce the duration of older adults' offline social interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This present study aimed to explore the relationship between upward social comparison, relative deprivation, belief in a just world, and delay discounting by surveying 614 college students. The results showed the following: (1) Upward social comparison could significantly and negatively predict individuals' delay discounting; and (2) belief in a just world and relative deprivation had a chain mediating effect on the impact of upward social comparison on delay discounting. Specifically, when individuals experienced more upward social comparison, their belief in a just world will be weakened, which increased feelings of relative deprivation and ultimately led them to be more likely to choose the recent but smaller rewards and forego rewards that require waiting but are larger. Practitioner points: An upward social comparison could lead to short‐sighted decision‐making.An upward social comparison could impair individuals' sense of justice and lead to a sense of deprivation.The individuals' sense of injustice and deprivation could further exacerbate their short‐sighted behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research on gender relations has overlooked the similarities and differences among East Asian societies. To fill this gap, this study investigated the association among men's gender-role attitudes, the actual share of housework, and perceptions of fairness in housework division, and how it differs across four East Asian societies. Using data from the 2012 International Social Survey Programme, the results demonstrated that Japanese and Taiwanese men had more egalitarian attitudes than mainland Chinese and South Koreans, while mainland Chinese men did more housework. Korean men held the most traditional gender-role attitudes and were least likely to feel they did less than their fair share. The paper concludes with implications for the gender revolution, suggesting policies should promote men's involvement in the family besides helping mothers balance work and family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extant studies on policy feedback effects have examined how a welfare increase, rather than a decrease, might shape policy attitudes or political engagement. Nevertheless, exploring the effects of welfare decrease on the mass public is significant because of its increasingly crucial relevance to public policy practices worldwide. Using a unique longitudinal national panel survey dataset (2015–2017) related to China's Minimum Living Standard Guarantee Program, this study examines how welfare program benefits influence the policy perceptions and political participation of more than 10,000 economically disadvantaged respondents. A series of analyses showed that all else being equal, starting to receive program benefits in a year does not necessarily produce a positive effect on policy perceptions or on political participation. However, being deprived of program benefits in a year has a significantly negative effect on policy perceptions and political participation. These findings concur with the negativity bias proposed in the psychology literature and contribute to the understanding of the micro‐level foundations of welfare policy feedback effects on the mass public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the extant literature on the fertility history and social networks of older adults has focused on advanced societies. Nevertheless, a limited number of studies have explored how culturally preferred family structures or living arrangements are related to older adults' social networks in developing societies. This study examined these issues in the Chinese context and paid particular attention to the filial piety and preference for sons dominating Chinese society. Using nationally representative data of adults aged 60 and over from China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey in 2016, we constructed family and friend network scores following previous studies and developed linear models using multiple imputation for the missing data. The results suggested that childless older adults were the most disadvantaged in receiving support from family networks. Despite China's patrilineal culture, daughters were important sources of support. In terms of friend networks, older men who had no sons were least likely to receive support while co-residing with a partner and a son(s) might benefit them. Further analysis revealed that older rural women, but not older urban women, also had more support from friend networks if living with sons, implying urban–rural differences. Given the impact of social networks on older adults' health and wellbeing, older Chinese people with no sons might need more support from other sources, such as aged-care programmes from public institutions, to achieve healthy ageing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]