Abstract
According to self-determination theory, parental autonomy support enhances children’s motivation and well-being. Past studies have documented an association between parental autonomy support and outcomes in the academic realm among younger children and adolescents. Using data from a sample of undergraduates attending a public university (N = 492), this proposition was tested by examining five measures of academic well-being and covitality among college students: school-related stress, school spillover, academic motivation, grade point average, and satisfaction with university. Results indicated that when parents of college-age students fostered autonomy—that is, when they encouraged their adult children to make their own decisions, select coursework, budget money, and take the initiative to deal with academic and interpersonal issues—daughters were more satisfied with university life. However, other forms of student well-being were not significantly associated with parental autonomy support, and the models were not significant among college men.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Arnett, J. J. (2000). Emerging adulthood: A theory of development from the late teens through the twenties. American Psychologist, 55, 469–480.
Astin, A. W. (1991). Assessment for excellence. New York, NY: Macmillan Publishing Company.
Baker, S. R. (2003). A prospective longitudinal investigation of social problem-solving appraisals on adjustment to university, stress, health, and academic motivation and performance. Personality & Individual Differences, 35, 569–591.
Barry, C. L., & Finney, S. J. (2009). Can we feel confident in how we measure college confidence? A psychometric investigation of the college self-efficacy inventory. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, 42, 197–222.
Black, A. E., & Deci, E. L. (2000). The effects of instructors’ autonomy support and students’ autonomous motivation on learning organic chemistry: A self-determination theory perspective. Science Education, 84, 740–756.
Bolger, N., DeLongis, A., Kessler, R. C., & Wethington, E. (1989). The contagion of stress across multiple roles. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 51, 175–183.
Bradley-Geist, J. C., & Olson-Buchanan, J. B. (2014). Helicopter parents: An examination of the correlates of over-parenting of college students. Education + Training, 56, 314–328.
Brockelman, K. F. (2009). The interrelationship of self-determination, mental illness, and grades among university students. Journal of College Student Development, 50, 271–286.
Brophy, J. (2010). Motivating students to learn. New York, NY: Routledge.
Budescu, M., & Silverman, L. R. (2016). Kinship support and academic efficacy among college students: A cross-sectional examination. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 25, 1789–1801.
Burrus, J., Elliott, D., Brenneman, M., Markle, R., Carney, L., Moore, G., Betancourt, A., Jackson, T., Robbins, S., Kyllonen, P., & Roberts, R. D. (2013). Putting and keeping students on track: Toward a comprehensive model of college persistence and goal attainment (ETS RR-13-14). Princeton, NJ: ETS. Retrieved 11 January 11 2016 from doi:10.1002/j.2333-8504.2013.tb02321.x/epdf
Chickering, A. W., & Reisser, L. (1993). Education and identity. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Chirkov, V. I., & Ryan, R. M. (2001). Parent and teacher autonomy support in Russian and U.S. adolescents: Common effects on well-being and academic motivation. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 32, 618–635.
Collins, W. A. (1990). Parent-child relationships in the transition to adolescence: Continuity and change in interaction, affect, and cognition. In R. Montemayor, G. R. Adams, T. P. Gullota (Eds.), From childhood to adolescence: A transitional period? (pp. 85–106). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Cutrona, C. E., Cole, V., Colangelo, N., Assouline, S. G., & Russell, D. W. (1994). Perceived parental social support and academic achievement: An attachment theory perspective. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 66, 369–378.
D’Angelo, B., & Wierzbicki, M. (2003). Relations of daily hassles with both anxious and depressed mood in students. Psychological Reports, 92, 416–418.
Daugherty, T. K., & Lane, E. J. (1999). A longitudinal study of academic and social predictors of college attrition. Social Behavior and Personality, 27, 355–362.
Dawson, M., & Pooley, J. A. (2013). Resilience: The role of optimism, perceived parental autonomy support and perceived social support in first year university students. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 1, 38–49.
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1985). Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior. New York, NY: Plenum.
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1991). A motivational approach to self: Integration in personality. In R. Dienstbier (Ed.), Nebraska symposium on motivation: Perspectives on motivation (pp. 237–288). Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press. vol. 38.
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The “what” and “why” of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11, 227–268.
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2002). Handbook of self-determination research. Rochester, NY: University of Rochester Press.
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2008). Self-determination theory: A macrotheory of human motivation, development, and health. Canadian Psychology, 49, 182–185.
DeWitz, S. J., & Walsh, W. B. (2002). Self-efficacy and college student satisfaction. Journal of Career Assessment, 10, 315–326.
Endendijk, J. J., Groeneveld, M. G., Bakermans-Kranenburg, M. J., & Mesman, J. (2016). Gender-differentiated parenting revisited: Meta-analysis reveals very few differences in parental control of boys and girls. PLoS ONE, 11(7), 1–33.
Fischer, F. T., Schult, J., & Hell, B. (2013). Sex-specific differential prediction of college admission tests: A meta-analysis. Journal of Educational Psychology, 105, 478–488.
Flook, L., & Fuligni, A. J. (2008). Family and school spillover in adolescents’ daily lives. Child Development, 79, 776–787.
Fortier, M. S., Vallerand, R. V., & Guay, F. (1995). Academic motivation and school performance: Toward a structural model. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 20, 257–274.
Fraley, R. C., & Davis, K. E. (1997). Attachment formation and transfer in young adults’ close friendships and romantic relationships. Personal Relationships, 4, 131–144.
Freeman, J. P., Hall, E. E., & Bresciani, M. J. (2007). What leads students to have thoughts, talk to someone about, and take steps to leave their institution? College Student Journal, 41, 755–770.
Friedman, B. A., & Mandel, R. G. (2009). The prediction of college student academic performance and retention: Application of expectancy and goal setting theories. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory and Practice, 11, 227–246.
Friedman, B. A., & Mandel, R. G. (2011). Motivation predictors of college student academic performance and retention. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 13, 2011–2012.
Froiland, J. M. (2011). Parental autonomy support and student learning goals: A preliminary examination of an intrinsic motivation intervention. Child & Youth Care Forum, 40, 135–149.
Froiland, J. M. (2015). Parents’ weekly descriptions of autonomy supportive communication: Promoting children’s motivation to learn and positive emotions. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 24, 117–126.
Froiland, J. M., & Oros, E. (2014). Intrinsic motivation, perceived competence and classroom engagement as longitudinal predictors of adolescent reading achievement. Educational Psychology, 34, 119–132.
Froiland, J. M., Oros, E., Smith, L., & Hirchert, T. (2012). Intrinsic motivation to learn: The nexus between psychological health and academic success. Contemporary School Psychology, 16, 91–101.
Froiland, J. M., Powell, D. R., Diamond, K. E., & Son, S. H. (2013). Neighborhood socioeconomic well-being, home literacy, and early literacy skills of at-risk preschoolers. Psychology in the Schools, 50, 755–769.
Fulton, E., & Turner, L. A. (2008). Students’ academic motivation: Relations with parental warmth, autonomy granting, and supervision. Educational Psychology, 28, 521–534.
Grigsby, M. (2009). College life through the eyes of students. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.
Grolnick, W. S. (2003). The psychology of parental control: How well-meant parenting backfires. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
Grolnick, W. S., Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (1991). Inner resources for school achievement: Motivational mediators of children’s perceptions of their parents. Journal of Educational Psychology, 83, 508–517.
Guay, F., Ratelle, C. F., & Chanal, J. (2008). Optimal learning in optimal contexts: The role of self-determination in education. Canadian Psychology, 49, 233–240.
Hahs-Vaughn, D. (2004). The impact of parents’ education level on college students: An analysis using the Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study 1990-92/94. Journal of College Student Development, 45, 483–500.
Hamilton, L. T. (2016). Parenting to a degree: How family matters for college women’s success. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
Hammer, L. B., Grigsby, T. D., & Woods, S. P. (1998). The conflicting demands of work, family, and school among students at an urban university. The Journal of Psychology, 132, 220–226.
Hardre, P. L., & Reeve, J. (2003). A motivational model of rural students’ intentions to persist in, versus drop out of, high school. Journal of Educational Psychology, 95, 347–356.
Hofer, B. K., & Moore, A. S. (2010). IConnected parent. New York, NY: Free Press.
Howard, D. E., Schiraldi, G., Pineda, A., & Campanella, R. (2006). Stress and mental health among college students: Overview and promising prevention interventions. In M. V. Landow (Ed.), Stress and mental health of college students (pp. 91–123). New York, NY: Nova Science Publishers, Inc.
Howell, R., Chenot, D., Hill, G., & Howell, C. (2011). Momentary happiness: The role of psychological need satisfaction. Journal of Happiness Studies, 12, 1–15.
Hunt, J. (2008). Make room for daddy… and mommy: Helicopter parents are here! The Journal of Academic Administration in Higher Education, 4, 9–11.
Inguglia, C., Ingoglia, S., Liga, F., Coco, A. L., Cricchio, M. G. L., Musso, P., Cheah, C. S. L., Gutow, M. R., & Lim, H. J. (2016). Parenting dimensions and internalizing difficulties in Italian and U.S. emerging adults: The intervening role of autonomy and relatedness. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 25, 419–431.
Jones, C. N., You, S., & Furlong, M. J. (2013). A preliminary examination of covitality as integrated well-being in college students. Social Indicators Research, 111, 511–526.
Joussemet, M., Koestner, R., Lekes, N., & Houlfort, N. (2004). Introducing uninteresting tasks to children: A comparison of the effects of rewards and autonomy support. Journal of Personality, 72, 139–166.
Joussemet, M., Koestner, R., Lekes, N., & Landry, R. (2005). A longitudinal study of the relationship of maternal autonomy support to children’s adjustment and achievement in school. Journal of Personality, 73, 1215–1236.
Joussemet, M., Landry, R., & Koestner, R. (2008). A self-determination theory perspective on parenting. Canadian Psychology, 49, 194–200.
Kadison, R., & DiGeronimo, T. F. (2004). College of the overwhelmed: The campus mental health crisis and what to do about it. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Kenyon, D. B., & Koerner, S. S. (2009). College student psychological well-being during the transition to college: Examining individuation from parents. College Student Journal, 43, 1145–1160.
Kirchmeyer, C. (1993). Nonwork-to-work spillover: A more balanced view of the experiences and coping of professional women and men. Sex Roles, 28, 531–552.
Kochanska, G., Coy, K. C., & Murray, K. T. (2001). The development of self-regulation in the first four years of life. Child Development, 72, 1091–1111.
Koestner, R., Ryan, R. M., Bernieri, F., & Holt, K. (1984). Setting limits on children’s behavior: The differential effects of controlling vs. informational styles on intrinsic motivation and creativity. Journal of Personality, 52, 233–248.
Kwon, K., Yoo, G., & Bingham, G. E. (2016). Helicopter parenting in emerging adulthood: Support or barrier for Korean college students’ psychological adjustment? Journal of Child and Family Studies, 25, 136–145.
Lareau, A. (2011). Unequal childhoods: Class, race, and family life. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
LeMoyne, T., & Buchanan, T. (2011). Does ‘hovering’ matter? Helicopter parenting and its effect on well-being. Sociological Spectrum, 31, 399–418.
Mageau, G. A., Bureau, J. S., Ranger, F., Allen, M., & Soenens, B. (2016). The role of parental achievement goals in predicting autonomy-supportive and controlling parenting. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 25, 1702–1711.
Mattanah, J. F., Lopez, F. G., & Govern, J. M. (2011). The contributions of parental attachment bonds to college student development and adjustment: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 58, 565–596.
McClelland, D. (2010). The achieving society. New York, NY: The Free Press. Reprint of 1961.
McGrath, R. (2006). Stress. In P. A. Grayson, P. W. Meilman (Eds.), College mental health practice (pp. 135–151). New York, NY: Routledge.
Misra, R., & McKean, M. (2000). College students’ academic stress and its relation to their anxiety, time management, and leisure satisfaction. American Journal of Health Studies, 16, 41–51.
Misra, R., McKean, M., West, S., & Russo, T. (2000). Academic stress of college students: Comparison of student and faculty perceptions. College Student Journal, 34, 236–245.
Nanda, M. M., Kotchick, B. A., & Grover, R. L. (2012). Parental psychological control and childhood anxiety: The mediating role of perceived lack of control. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 21, 637–645.
Niemiec, C. P., Lynch, M. F., Vansteenkiste, M., Bernstein, J., Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2006). The antecedents and consequences of autonomous self-regulation for college: A self-determination theory perspective on socialization. Journal of Adolescence, 29, 761–775.
O’Donnell, S. L., Chang, K. B., & Miller, K. S. (2013). Relations among autonomy, attribution style, and happiness in college students. College Student Journal, 47, 228–234.
Padilla-Walker, L. M., & Nelson, L. J. (2012). Black hawk down?: Establishing helicopter parenting as a distinct construct from other forms of parental control during emerging adulthood. Journal of Adolescence, 35, 1177–1190.
Park, Y., & Sprung, J. M. (2013). Work-school conflict and health outcomes: Beneficial resources for working college students. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 18, 384–394.
Pedersen, D. E., & Jodin, V. (2016). Stressors associated with the school spillover of college undergraduates. The Social Science Journal, 53, 40–48.
Pedersen, D. E., Swenberger, J., & Moes, K. E. (forthcoming). School spillover and college student health. Sociological Inquiry.
Pierceall, E. A., & Keim, M. C. (2007). Stress and coping strategies among community college students. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 31, 703–712.
Pryor, J. H., Hurtado, S., DeAngelo, L., Blake, L. P., & Tran, S. (2010). The American freshman: National norms fall 2010. Los Angeles, CA: Higher Education Research Institute, UCLA.
Ratelle, C. F., Simard, K., & Guay, F. (2013). University students’ subjective well-being: The role of autonomy support from parents, friends, and the romantic partner. Journal of Happiness Studies, 14, 893–910.
Reed, K., Duncan, J. M., Lucier-Greer, M., Fixelle, C., & Ferraro, A. J. (2016). Helicopter parenting and emerging adult self-efficacy: Implications for mental and physical health. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 25, 3136–3149.
Renshaw, T. L., & Bolognino, S. J. (2016). The college student subjective wellbeing questionnaire: A brief, multidimensional measure of undergraduates’ covitality. Journal of Happiness Studies, 17, 463–484.
Renshaw, T. L., & Cohen, A. S. (2014). Life satisfaction as a distinguishing indicator of college student functioning: Further validation of the two-continua model of mental health. Social Indicators Research, 117, 319–334.
Rivers, J., Mullis, A. K., Fortner, L. A., & Mullis, R. L. (2012). Relationships between parenting styles and the academic performance of adolescents. Journal of Family Social Work, 15, 202–216.
Sax, L. J., & Weintraub, D. S. (2014). Exploring the parental role in first-year students’ emotional well-being: Considerations by gender. Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, 51, 113–127.
Schiffrin, H. H., Liss, M., Miles-McLean, H., Geary, K. A., Erchull, M. J., & Tasher, T. (2012). Helping or hovering? The effects of helicopter parenting on college students’ well-being. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 23, 548–557.
Schultheiss, D. E. P., & Blustein, D. L. (1994). Role of adolescent-parent relationships in college student development and adjustment. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 41, 248–255.
Smith, W. L., & Zhang, P. (2009). Students’ perceptions and experiences with key factors during the transition from high school to college. College Student Journal, 43, 643–657.
Sorokou, C., & Weissbrod, C. (2005). Men and women’s attachment and contact with patterns with parents during the first year of college. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 34, 221–228.
Stein, C. H., Osborn, L. A., & Greenberg, S. C. (2016). Understanding young adults’ reports of contact with their parents in a digital world: Psychological and familial relationship factors. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 25, 1802–1814.
Su, Y. L., & Reeve, J. (2011). A meta-analysis of the effectiveness of intervention programs designed to support autonomy. Educational Psychology Review, 23, 159–188.
Suldo, S. M., & Huebner, E. S. (2004). The role of life satisfaction in the relationship between authoritative parenting dimensions and adolescent problem behavior. Social Indicators Research, 66, 165–195.
Surrey, J. L. (1991). The “self in relation”: A theory of women’s development. In J. V. Jordan (Ed.), Women’s growth in connection: Writings from the stone center (pp. 51–66). New York, NY: Guildford Press.
Taub, D. J. (1997). Autonomy and parental attachment in traditional-aged undergraduate women. Journal of College Student Development, 38, 645–654.
Thoits, P. A. (2010). Stress and health: Major findings and policy implications. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 51, S41–S53.
Vallerand, R. J., Fortier, M. S., & Guay, F. (1997). Self-determination and persistence in a real-life setting: Toward a motivational model of high school dropout. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 72, 1161–1176.
Vecchione, M., Alessandri, G., & Marsicano, G. (2014). Academic motivation predicts educational attainment: Does gender make a difference? Learning and Individual Differences, 32, 124–131.
Wilbur, T. G., & Roscigno, V. J. (2016). First-generation disadvantage and college enrollment/completion. Scopius, 2, 1–11.
Williams, G. C., & Deci, E. L. (1996). Internalization of biopsychosocial values by medical students: A test of self-determination theory. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 70, 767–779.
Wintre, M. G., & Yaffe, M. (2000). First-year students’ adjustment to university life as a function of relationships with parents. Journal of Adolescent Research, 15, 9–37.
Wolf, D. S., Sax, L. J., & Harper, C. E. (2009). Parental engagement and contact in the academic lives of college students. NASPA Journal, 46, 325–358.
Zhang, P., & Smith, W. L. (2015). The transition from high school to college: Parents’ and students’ perceptions of parents’ helpfulness. Virginia Social Science Journal, 50, 31–39.
Zullig, K. J., Huebner, E. S., Gilman, R., Patton, J. M., & Murray, K. A. (2005). Validation of the Brief Multidimensional Life Satisfaction Scale among college students. American Journal of Health Behavior, 29, 206–214.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of Interest
The author declares that she has no competing interests.
Ehical Approval
In compliance with the Institutional Review Board of the supporting institution, human subjects review was completed and approval granted before this research was undertaken.
Informed Consent
All study participants provided informed consent.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Pedersen, D.E. Parental Autonomy Support and College Student Academic Outcomes. J Child Fam Stud 26, 2589–2601 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-017-0750-4
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-017-0750-4