Subjective and Objective SES and Childhood Experiences

Abstract

Socioeconomic status (SES) is a multidimensional construct encompassing objective indicators (e.g., income, education, occupation) and subjective perceptions of one's socioeconomic standing. Both dimensions influence child development and parenting practices, yet studies rarely examine their combined and distinct contributions to children’s daily experiences. This study investigates the unique and overlapping roles of objective and subjective SES in moderating childhood experiences during the preschool years. Participants (N = 162; Mage = 5.77, SD = 0.36; 45.1% girls) were recruited from public schools and a cultural center in Buenos Aires, Argentina. SES was assessed using maternal education (objective SES) and parental perceptions of access to resources (subjective SES). Our findings reveal a partial overlap between the two SES dimensions, with both predicting significant variance in multiple aspects of children’s experiences. Notably, subjective SES uniquely predicted access to specific resources, while objective SES had a stronger influence on most outcomes analyzed. These results underscore the importance of integrating objective and subjective SES measures to capture the nuanced associations between SES and childhood experiences, particularly in diverse socioeconomic contexts. These findings contribute to understanding how SES impacts children’s experiences, offering insights for developing targeted interventions and policies that address diverse socioeconomic realities.