Socioeconomic disparities play a significant role in shaping children’s psychological resilience, but the underlying mechanisms remain underexplored. This study investigates the potential mediating roles of prosocial behavior and belief in a just world in the relationship between childhood socioeconomic status and resilience. A sample of 955 Chinese college students completed self-report measures assessing their childhood socioeconomic status (parental education and family income), prosocial tendencies (Prosocial Tendencies Measure), belief in a just world (Belief in a Just World Scale), and psychological resilience (Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale). Path analysis revealed that higher childhood socioeconomic status was directly associated with greater resilience. Indirect effects were also found, with socioeconomic advantage linked to heightened prosocial orientations and stronger just world beliefs, which in turn predicted higher resilience. A significant serial mediation pathway emerged, whereby economic resources fostered prosocial behavior, reinforcing just world perceptions and ultimately enhancing resilience. The findings underscore the importance of promoting prosocial values, creating opportunities for prosocial engagement, cultivating adaptive beliefs, and addressing socioeconomic inequalities to support positive youth development and psychological resilience across diverse contexts. Targeted interventions and policies informed by these insights can contribute to more equitable and supportive environments for all children.
Feng et al. (Thu,) studied this question.