From social standing to self: Unraveling the psychological pathways to professional identity

The mechanisms and boundary conditions by which perceived social status shapes individual professional identity are still not well understood. Drawing on social identity theory and conservation of resources theory, we developed a moderated mediation model to investigate the effect of perceived social status on professional identity, with self-efficacy as a mediator and resilience as a moderator. We conducted a three-stage survey with 476 women in China who were artistic painters. The findings indicated that perceived social status significantly and positively predicted professional identity, but the mediating role of self-efficacy was not supported. Further analysis revealed that resilience enhanced the direct and indirect effects of perceived social status on professional identity. This study broadens scholarly perspectives on establishing professional identity and delivers practical recommendations for enhancing the career development and psychological health of women working as artists.