Work

Status and the Self: Socioeconomic Inequality in Core Beliefs

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: In popular discourse, personal success is often attributed to mindset. In psychological science, such claims correspond to self-related core beliefs-generalized self-representations. However, the lack of a comprehensive framework has prevented systematic investigation of their links to socioeconomic inequality. The present study aimed to provide the first systematic mapping of how socioeconomic status (SES) is reflected in individuals' core beliefs. METHOD: Building on the CorBel model-an integrative taxonomy of 97 belief nuances derived via natural language processing-we analyzed two preregistered, SES-representative national samples (Germany: N = 435, UK: N = 266). RESULTS: Positive beliefs (e.g., competence, autonomy, trust) were associated with higher SES, whereas negative beliefs (e.g., insecurity, unworthiness, pessimism) were associated with lower SES. These associations replicated across SES indicators (education, income, wealth) and across countries, explaining up to 20% of the variance in SES outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The findings offer the first systematic mapping of how socioeconomic inequalities are mirrored in individuals' innermost psychological constitution. Core beliefs emerge as potential targets for interventions with both societal and policy relevance.

Source: Journal of Personality

DOI: 10.1111/jopy.70085

Authors: Niklas Schulte, Matthias Ziegler, Patrick Mussel

Institutions: Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Psychologische Hochschule Berlin

Language: English

Topic: Personality Traits and Psychology

Subfield: Clinical Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,780