Li Zhang

Decision difficulty refers to the perceived level of difficulty individuals experience when making decisions. This study investigates how subjective socioeconomic status (SES) relates to decision difficulty across cultural contexts, drawing on self‐construal theory and the social cognitive theory of social class. Individuals with higher subjective SES may experience decision difficulty differently depending on culturally shaped self‐construal and cognitive tendencies. Study 1 used questionnaires to examine the relationship between subjective SES and decision difficulty in Chinese and American samples. Studies 2 and 3 experimentally manipulated subjective SES and measured decision difficulty in consumer and social domains. Across all three studies, subjective SES negatively predicted decision difficulty in the Chinese sample, but positively predicted it in the American sample. These findings suggest that subjective SES and culture jointly influence how individuals experience decision difficulty.

This study examines the link between maximizing tendency and meaning in life across the cultural contexts of China and the United States, revealing the uni

To examine the role of inequality in academic achievement, we analyse a cross-national dataset including data from three cycles from 2012 to 2018 from the PISA, an international assessment of 15-year-old students’ math, reading, and science performance. The Gini coefficient and gender inequality index (GII) were used as metrics for a country’s economic inequality and gender inequality, respectively. The results show that gender inequality has a negative association with academic achievement for both boys and girls. Moreover, gender inequality has a stronger association with academic achievement than does economic inequality. We also find that gender inequality in reproductive health may contribute substantially to the association between gender inequality and academic achievement. Despite substantial advances in gender equality worldwide, multisectoral and multilevel approaches from the community to the country level are needed to ensure substantial long-term reductions in economic, gender, and educational inequalities.

Personality traits are closely correlated with maximization tendency. However, few studies have characterized the link between the subdimensions of perfectionism and maximization tendency. Accordingly, no empirical literature has examined the mechanisms between them. This study examines the relationship between perfectionism and maximization tendency and how they are linked. Participants ( N = 450) were invited to describe their maximization tendency, achievement motivation, perfectionism, and demographic variables. The results showed that the two dimensions of perfectionism are positively correlated with the three dimensions of maximization tendency. The motive to achieve success (MAS) and the motive to avoid failure (MAF) could mediate the link between the dimensions of perfectionism and the dimensions of maximization tendency. Further analyses showed that MAS mediates the relationships between perfectionism and a high standard of maximization tendency, while MAF mediates the relationship between perfectionism and the decision difficulty of maximization tendency. MAS and MAF simultaneously mediate the relationship between perfectionism and alternative search. These findings suggest that decision difficulty and the other two dimensions of maximization differ in terms of their relationship with achievement motivation.

The negative influence of maximization on well-being, that is, the maximization paradox, has received increased attention. However, few studies have shown the link between maximization tendency and meaning in life, which is one type of well-being, and no empirical literature has examined the mechanisms between them. We conducted an online survey in China to test the relationship between maximization tendency and meaning in life. Participants (N=2,987) were invited to report their maximization, time perspective, meaning in life, and other control variables and demographic variables. Multi-mediation path analysis was adopted in the data analysis. The results revealed that maximization was positively associated with meaning in life, which confirmed the positive aspect of the maximization tendency. Further analyses indicated that the time perspectives of past-positive and future mediated the positive relationship between maximization and meaning in life. In contrast, a present-fatalistic time perspective was a suppressor in the positive relationship. Our findings suggest that the maximization tendency has a positive aspect rather than the overall maximization paradox. An important means of elevating meaning in life is to encourage the time perspective of past-positive and future-oriented and reduce the present-fatalistic time perspective.

Background: The influence of COVID-19 on mental health problems has received considerable attention. However, only a few studies have examined the relationship between exposure to COVID-19 and mental health problems, and no empirical study has tested the mechanisms between them.Methods: We conducted a survey in 31 provinces of China during 3–13 March 2020 to test the effect of the exposure level on mental health problems. Our sample comprised 2987 participants who reported their perceived threat, coping efficacy, mental health problems and other demographic variables. Multiple mediators path analysis was used in the data analysis.Results: The results showed that the level of exposure to COVID-19 in China was negatively associated with mental health problems, which confirmed the “Psychological Typhoon Eye” effect. Further analyses indicated that both perceived threat and coping efficacy partially mediated the relationship between them. However, coping efficacy explained the “Psychological Typhoon Eye” effect. Perceived threat mediated the positive relationship between exposure level and mental health problems.Conclusion: This study detected the psychological typhoon eye effect and demonstrated the mediating role of coping efficacy and perceived threat between exposure to COVID-19 and mental health problems. Our findings suggest that policy makers and psychological workers should provide enough psychological services to low-risk areas as the high-risk areas. An important means of alleviating mental health problems is to improve coping efficacy.