Influence of subjective social class and social mobility beliefs on self-focused attention: the mediating role of sense of control

We verified whether social class shapes different models of the self in China, by integrating individuals’ social mobility beliefs and exploring the mediating effect of sense of control. Participants were randomly assigned to one of 2 (subjective social class: upper vs. low class) × 2 (social mobility beliefs: high vs. low mobility) manipulation conditions. They then completed the sense of control questionnaire and self-focused attention task. High mobility belief could alleviate the difference in perception among different subjective social classes and improve lower classes’ control perception. Sense of control mediates subjective social class effects and social mobility beliefs on self-focused attention.