[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-detail-39956-en":3,"doc-seo-39956-105":30,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":92},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",{"doc_id":7,"user_id":8,"nickname":9,"user_avatar":10,"doc_module":4,"category_id":11,"category_name":12,"doc_title":13,"doc_description":14,"doc_content":15,"file_id":16,"file_url":17,"file_type":18,"file_size":19,"view_count":20,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":21,"is_downloadable":21,"audit_status":21,"page_count":22,"language":23,"language_code":24,"site_id":25,"html_lang":24,"table_of_contents":26,"faqs":27,"seo_title":13,"seo_description":14,"update_tm":28,"read_time":29},39956,687197207639,"Asher","https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_a8503ba1806abce46bf441b54a3ca4cd",8,"Research & Report","Self-Concept Clarity and Envy as Mediators Between Upward Social Comparison on Social Networking Sites and Subjective Well-Being","Popularity of social networking sites increases opportunities for upward social comparison, which may influence subjective well-being. Evidence remains limited regarding how such comparison affects well-being components—positive affect, negative affect, and life satisfaction—and the mechanisms linking them. Drawing on social comparison theory and a full construct model of subjective well-being, the study tested mediation in 970 Chinese youth using self-report measures. Results indicated envy independently mediates all three models, while self-concept clarity and envy show chain mediation across outcomes, with additional specificity for negative affect.","Received: 19 June 2024 | Accepted: 30 November 2024  \nDOI: 10.1111/bjdp.12538  \nA RT IC L E  \nSelf-concept clarity and envy as mediators between upward social comparison on social networking sites and subjective well-being  \nXiang Niu1  | Li-Xing Gou2 | Ying Han3 | Xuan Zhou4 |  \n1  \nJin-Liang Wang  \n1Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China  \n2Center for Mental Health Education, Nanchong Health School of Sichuan Province, Nanchong, China  \n3School of Education, Aba Teachers University, Aba, China  \n4School of Finance and Economics, Jilin Electronic Information Vocational and Technical College, Jilin, China  \nCorrespondence  \nJin-Liang Wang, Center for Mental Health Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China. [Email: wjl200789@163.com](Email: wjl200789@163.com)  \nFunding information  \nThe Research Innovation Program of Graduate Students in Chongqing (CYB240084)  \nAbstract  \nThe popularity of social networking sites increases opportunities for upward social comparison, potentially affecting individuals' subjective well-being. However, research on how this comparison impacts well-being's subcomponents (i.e., positive affect, negative affect, and life satisfaction) is scarce. This study, based on social comparison theory and the full theoretical construct of subjective wellbeing, explores these relationships and their mechanisms. A total of 970 Chinese youth participants (Mage = 19.42 years, SD = 2.01) completed self-report measures. The results showed that the independent mediating effect of envy and the chain mediating effect of self-concept clarity and envy contributed to all three models. In addition, the independent mediating effect of self-concept clarity only contributed to the model for negative affect. This study emphasizes that the construct of envy mediates the effect of upward social comparison on the sub-components of subjective well-being and further demonstrates a strong impact of upward social comparison on negative affect.  \nK E Y WO R D S  \nenvy, mediation analysis, self-concept clarity, subjective well-being, upward social comparison  \nINTRODUCTION  \nSubjective well-being is a general term used to describe the level of happiness experienced by individuals based on their subjective evaluations of different areas of life (Veenhoven, 2011). Increasing evidence indicates a strong association between high subjective well-being and individuals' health and longevity, work and income, social relationships, and social welfare (Diener & Biswas-Diener, 2011). Therefore, it is highly valuable to advance research on subjective well-being as society progresses. The advent of  \nBr J Dev Psychol. 2025;43:611–[628. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/bjdp](628. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/bjdp) © 2024 British Psychological Society. | 611  \n612  \n|  \nNIU et al .  \nKey points  \n• The independent mediating effect of envy and the chain mediating effect of self-concept clarity and envy contributed to all three models.  \n• The independent mediating effect of self-concept clarity only contributed to the model for negative affect.  \n• The direct and indirect effects of upward social comparison on negative affect were significant.  \nthe digital age has made the use of social networking sites (SNSs) one of the many factors affecting individuals' subjective well-being (Verduyn et al., 2017; Webster et al., 2021). In the context of social networking, browsing content posted by friends has become a common habit for many people, and this habit often easily triggers upward social comparison (Verduyn et al., 2017). According to the social comparison theory, upward social comparison, which involves comparing oneself with those who are more successful or accomplished, is associated with changes in self-evaluation and may subsequently impair an individual's emotional and psychological state (Festinger, 1954). Prior research has established that upward social comparison is a key mediating var","cbCait1BPzUdpLNw","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCait1BPzUdpLNw","pdf",704563,6,1,18,"English","en",105,"# Introduction\n## Subjective well-being and upward social comparison\n# Abstract & Key points\n## Mediation roles of envy and self-concept clarity","[{\"question\":\"How do social networking sites relate to subjective well-being through upward social comparison?\",\"answer\":\"Social networking sites increase opportunities for upward social comparison. Upward comparison can shift self-evaluation and impair emotional and psychological states, affecting subjective well-being.\"},{\"question\":\"What mediating roles are tested in the study?\",\"answer\":\"The study tests envy as an independent mediator and examines a chain mediation pathway involving self-concept clarity and envy. These pathways are evaluated for effects on positive affect, negative affect, and life satisfaction.\"},{\"question\":\"What do the results show about envy and self-concept clarity?\",\"answer\":\"Envy independently mediated the relationships in all three models. The chain mediation effect of self-concept clarity and envy contributed across all three models, and self-concept clarity alone contributed specifically to negative affect.\"}]",1783088443,45,{"code":4,"msg":31,"data":32},"ok",{"site_id":25,"language":24,"slug":33,"title":13,"keywords":34,"description":14,"schema_data":35,"social_meta":87,"head_meta":89,"extra_data":91,"updated_unix":28},"self-concept-clarity-and-envy-as-mediators-between-upward-social-comparison-on-social-networking-sites-and-subjective-well-being","",{"@graph":36,"@context":86},[37,54,69],{"@type":38,"itemListElement":39},"BreadcrumbList",[40,44,48,51],{"item":41,"name":42,"@type":43,"position":21},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":45,"name":46,"@type":43,"position":47},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":49,"name":12,"@type":43,"position":50},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":52,"name":13,"@type":43,"position":53},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/self-concept-clarity-and-envy-as-mediators-between-upward-social-comparison-on-social-networking-sites-and-subjective-well-being/39956/",4,{"url":52,"name":13,"@type":55,"author":56,"headline":13,"publisher":58,"fileFormat":61,"inLanguage":24,"description":14,"dateModified":62,"datePublished":63,"encodingFormat":61,"isAccessibleForFree":64,"interactionStatistic":65},"DigitalDocument",{"name":9,"@type":57},"Person",{"url":41,"name":59,"@type":60},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-07-20","2026-07-03",true,{"@type":66,"interactionType":67,"userInteractionCount":20},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":68},"ViewAction",{"@type":70,"mainEntity":71},"FAQPage",[72,78,82],{"name":73,"@type":74,"acceptedAnswer":75},"How do social networking sites relate to subjective well-being through upward social comparison?","Question",{"text":76,"@type":77},"Social networking sites increase opportunities for upward social comparison. Upward comparison can shift self-evaluation and impair emotional and psychological states, affecting subjective well-being.","Answer",{"name":79,"@type":74,"acceptedAnswer":80},"What mediating roles are tested in the study?",{"text":81,"@type":77},"The study tests envy as an independent mediator and examines a chain mediation pathway involving self-concept clarity and envy. These pathways are evaluated for effects on positive affect, negative affect, and life satisfaction.",{"name":83,"@type":74,"acceptedAnswer":84},"What do the results show about envy and self-concept clarity?",{"text":85,"@type":77},"Envy independently mediated the relationships in all three models. 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