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Previous research has extensively examined the association between income and subjective well-being, but few studies have made a distinction between individual income and household income. China offers an interesting case to study this topic due to its rapid economic and demographic changes. By analyzing data from 12,484 men and 13,828 women aged 15 to 64 based on the nationally representative China Family Panel Studies, the current study estimated the independent effects of individual and household income on self-reported level of life satisfaction. The study further examined whether the relationship differed across gender and education groups. The results suggested that overall, both individual income and household income contributed independently to life satisfaction, but household income appeared to be more influential than individual income. The study further revealed interesting differences between men and women in that individual income showed greater impact on life satisfaction among Chinese men than women. A further stratification by educational status showed that such difference was mainly among the less-educated men and women, but not among those who were well-educated. The findings suggest the greater importance of family factor than individual factor on Chinese people's subjective well-being. The study also highlights the important role of education in reducing gender disparity in China.

Abstract
Interviewer ratings of respondents' physical appearance have been collected in several major social surveys. While researchers have made good use of such ratings data in substantive studies, empirical evidence on their measurement properties is rather limited. This study evaluates two potential threats to the quality of interviewer ratings of physical appearance: interviewer effects and halo effects. Using data from the China Family Panel Studies, we show large interviewer effects on interviewer ratings of respondents' physical appearance based on cross-classified models. We also provide possible evidence for halo effects based on high correlations between physical appearance ratings and other theoretically distinct constructs, after controlling for interviewer effects. However, we find support for convergent and discriminant validity of physical appearance ratings when both interviewer effects and halo effects are controlled for. Empirical studies using interviewer observation data should take into account interviewer effects and halo effects when possible or at least discuss their potential impact on the substantive findings.

Family income questions in general purpose surveys are usually collected with either a single-question summary design or a multiple-question disaggregation design. It is unclear how estimates from the two approaches agree with each other. The current paper takes advantage of a large-scale survey that has collected family income with both methods. With data from 14,222 urban and rural families in the 2018 wave of the nationally representative China Family Panel Studies, we compare the two estimates, and further evaluate factors that might contribute to the discrepancy. We find that the two estimates are loosely matched in only a third of all families, and most of the matched families have a simple income structure. Although the mean of the multiple-question estimate is larger than that of the single-question estimate, the pattern is not monotonic. At lower percentiles up till the median, the single-question estimate is larger, whereas the multiple-question estimate is larger at higher percentiles. Larger family sizes and more income sources contribute to higher likelihood of inconsistent estimates from the two designs. Families with wage income as the main income source have the highest likelihood of giving consistent estimates compared with all other families. In contrast, families with agricultural income or property income as the main source tend to have very high probability of larger single-question estimates. Omission of certain income components and rounding can explain over half of the inconsistencies with higher multiple-question estimates and a quarter of the inconsistencies with higher single-question estimates.

AbstractGuanxi is the central form of social capital in Chinese society that provides access to resources, assets, and benefits that facilitate social status and social mobility. Substantial empirical research has documented the importance of guanxi networks in accessing resources for getting good jobs, moving up to better jobs, and achieving higher wages. Chinese Lunar New Year is a special occasion of cultural and social significance to cultivate and maintain guanxi networks. We thus conceptualize guanxi networks as the visiting networks during the Chinese New Year celebration. Using the 2008 Chinese General Social Survey, we construct five measures of the Chinese New Year greeting networks and assess their impact on workers' earnings as well as gender differences in their effects on earnings. We also consider two major structural constraints—the hukou and social class—that affect the extent of one's social networks and earnings. Our findings not only confirm the overall positive effects of the Chinese New Year greeting networks on earnings but also offer nuances that enhance the understanding of how guanxi networks as a manifestation of social capital embedded in Chinese traditional culture work in the contemporary era and intensify gender gaps.

Using data from the nationally representative China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), we describe Chinese adults' attitudes towards three specific aspects of social environments: local government performance, severity of major social issues, and social trust. We further explore how county level contextual factors and personal experiences relate to subjective social environments, while controlling for individual demographics. On average, Chinese adults in the CFPS endorsed moderately positive ratings for their local governments, but perceived high severities in various social issues, ranking economic inequality as the most severe. A moderate level of generalized trust (54%) was found, together with very high trust in parents and very low trust in Americans and strangers. Further analyses revealed that variations in subjective social environments at the prefectural level were relatively small compared with individual level variations. At the individual level, personal experiences such as perceived unfair treatment showed consistently negative effects on how people evaluated their social environments. At the contextual level, employment rates appeared more influential than other studied factors. Regional economic inequality, as indicated by prefectural Gini, was not associated with most studied outcomes.

AbstractThe China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) is a large‐scale multidisciplinary social survey started in 2010 and followed‐up every two years since, covering 25 provinces, representing 95 per cent of the Chinese population. Through tracking of individuals, families and communities over time, the CFPS provides high‐quality longitudinal data for academic/scientific investigation and policy research in important areas such as Chinese society, economy, population, education and health. This article outlines the structure and components of the CFPS, with a focus on the recent changes in survey mode, questionnaire design and data dissemination.

AbstractObjectiveWe provide details on how relationship researchers can use Monte Carlo simulation for power estimation and sample size determination for the simple and the mediation Actor–Partner Interdependence Model (APIM). In addition to power estimates for specific sample sizes, we show how the sample size for each effect can be determined.BackgroundResearchers designing a study commonly want to know what sample size is required to detect a specific effect or in the case after data collection is completed what the power is for a specific effect.MethodThe solution we present asks for the correlations among the variables and allows for the specification of skewness and kurtosis and the incorporation of missing data. For the mediation APIM, power is estimated for the direct effects, indirect effects, and total effects.ResultsThe illustrations demonstrate that indistinguishable members require sample sizes that are about half of the sample sizes required for distinguishable members and that skewed data tend to require larger sample sizes. The illustration of the mediation APIM reveals that it is not uncommon that some of the simple indirect effects are significant, but none of the total indirect effects and none of the total effects are.ConclusionMonte Carlo simulation provides an easy‐to‐use and flexible solution to determine power and sample sizes for the simple and mediation APIM for distinguishable and indistinguishable members.ImplicationsRecommendations are made for dyadic studies with small sample sizes and studies using the mediation APIM.

Background: Previous studies have examined the prevalence of psychological strains among various suicide populations. However, it is still unexamined whether psychological strains can predict suicide intent directly. Aims: We planned to explore the prevalence of psychological strains and analyze the relationship between psychological strains and suicide intent among Chinese rural young suicides. Methods: Psychological autopsy method was used to investigate the environmental and other factors of rural young suicides. Psychological strains were identified from in-depth interviews by the proxy informants of each suicide. The first 8 items of Beck's Suicidal Intention Scale (SIS) were used to estimate the suicide intent. Results: Results showed that 96.6% of the suicides had at least one type of strain, and those suicides who had more strains tended to score higher on the suicide intent scale. Conclusion: The study further supports that suicide intent can be predicted by psychological strains in Chinese rural young suicides. The scanning of psychological strains can be used for suicide prevention in Chinese rural young suicides.