Core self-evaluations, psychological capital, social comparison, and socioeconomic status: an analysis of Generation Z's satisfaction in the post-pandemic era.

INTRODUCTION: In the post-pandemic era, the world has witnessed profound transformations with economic, social, and lifestyle changes. In such a special period, Generation Z is also undergoing unique trials. While confronting multifaceted and complex challenges, they also have positive adaptations, including improved psychological capital (PSY) and core self-evaluations (CSE). As the life and academic satisfaction for Generation Z have become an increasingly critical issue for higher education, we wanted to seek new insight into the reasons which influence the life and academic satisfaction for Generation Z. Previous studies have suggested that both CSE and PSY were separately positive predictors of young people's sense of happiness. However, the indirect relationship between CSE and Generation Z's satisfaction via PSY has rarely been researched. METHODS: Based on positive psychology, social cognition theory, and social comparison theory, we develop a double moderated-mediation model and empirically tested our hypotheses using questionnaires from 753 Chinese college students, representing the Chinese youth. We further investigated PSY as a mediator and social comparison as well as socioeconomic status as double moderators in the relationships between CSE and Generation Z's satisfaction. RESULTS: Our study indicated that low social comparison and high socioeconomic status could strengthen the positive effect of CSE on Generation Z's satisfaction in daily life. Especially, CSE and PSY play essential roles in students' mental state. DISCUSSION: The in-depth exploration of the complex relationships among these factors will help schools and families develop more effective strategies to improve the satisfaction and mental health of Generation Z in the long run.