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Direct and Indirect Pathways between Parental Constructive Behavior and Adolescent Affiliation with Achievement-Oriented Peers

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Abstract

We investigated the direct and indirect pathways through which parental constructive behavior may influence the adolescent’s affiliation with achievement-oriented peers. Using a longitudinal survey data set from nine California and Wisconsin high schools (from 9th through 12th grades, with an approximate age range from 14 through 18) structural equation models were estimated. Our longitudinal analyses confirmed an indirect effect from Time 1 parental constructive behavior and a direct effect from Time 2 parental constructive behavior on an increase in the perceived achievement orientation of friends at Time 2, net of the stability effect from the prior values of the perceived achievement orientation of friends at Time 1. A point to be emphasized is that parental influence on peer affiliation in late adolescence remains significant even as parental involvement in adolescents’ lives diminishes. In addition, the direct effect from Time 2 parental constructive behavior on the perceived achievement-orientation of friends appears stronger for boys than for girls.

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Acknowledgment

Preparation of this article was supported by Mini Grants, Summer Research Fellowships and Professional Development Grants to Zeng-yin Chen from California State University-San Bernardino. The study on which this article is based was supported by grants to Sanford M. Dornbusch and P. Herbert Leiderman from the Spencer Foundation and the Carnegie Foundation of New York, and to Laurence Steinberg and B. Bradford Brown from the U.S. Department of Education, through the National Center on Effective Secondary Schools at the University of Wisconsin—Madison.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology, California State University – San Bernardino, San Bernardino, CA, 92407, USA

    Zeng-yin Chen

  2. Program in Human Biology, Department of Sociology, and School of Education, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA

    Sanford M. Dornbusch

  3. Department of Sociology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA

    Ruth X. Liu

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  1. Zeng-yin Chen
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  2. Sanford M. Dornbusch
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  3. Ruth X. Liu
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Correspondence to Zeng-yin Chen.

Appendix: Measurements of endogenous variables

Appendix: Measurements of endogenous variables

Parental Constructive Behavior (T1/T2): (Latent construct with four additive indexes) Monitoring (alpha = .80/.81):

How much do your parents REALLY know … (Answering categories: 1 = Don’t know, 2 = Know a little, 3 = Know a lot.)

  • Who your friends are?

  • Where you go at night?

  • How you spend your money?

  • What you do with your free time?

  • Where you are most afternoons after school?

Involvement (alpha = .71/.73):

How much are your mother and father involved in your high school education? (Answering categories: 1 = Never, 2 = Sometimes, 3 = Usually.)

(Note: Students answered the question for mother, father, stepmother and stepfather separately, and the index takes on the highest score among the four possible parents.)

  • Helps with homework when I ask.

  • Makes sure I do home work.

  • Checks my homework over.

  • Knows how I’m doing in school.

  • Goes to school programs for parents.

  • Helps me in choosing my courses.

Spend time together (alpha = .71/.68):

How often do these things happen in your family? (Answering categories: 1 = Almost every day, 2 = A few times a week, 3 = A few times a month, 4 = Almost never. Reverse coded.)

  • My parents spend time just talking with me.

  • My family does something fun together.

  • My parent(s) eat the evening meal with me.

  • My parent(s) are home in the evening with me.

Family functionally organized (alpha = .77/.73):

How much do you agree or disagree with these statements? (Answering categories: 1 = Strongly agree, 2 = Agree somewhat, 3 = Disagree somewhat, 4 = Strongly disagree. Reverse coded.)

  • In my family, we check in or out with each other when someone leaves or comes home.

  • Our family is pretty organized.

  • My family has certain routines that help our household run smoothly.

Education Orientation (T1/T2): (Latent construct with two indicators)

Educational expectations (single-item indicator):

Considering your situation, what is the highest level that you really expect to go in school? (Answering categories: 1 = Leave school as soon as possible, 2 = Finish high school, 3 = Get some vocational or college training, 4 = Finish a two-year community college degree, 5 = Finish college with a four-year college degree, 6 = Finish college and take further training.)

Homework (alpha = .79/.78):

For each class, how much do you currently put into homework each week, including reading assignments: (Answering categories: 1 = None, 2 = About 15 min, 3 = About 30 min, 4 = About an hour, 5 = About 2 or 3 hr, 6 = About 4 hours or more.

  • Math.

  • English.

Perceived Achievement Orientation of Friends (T1/T2): (Latent construct with four single-item indicators)

Among the friends you hang out with, how important is it to: (Answering categories: 1 = Extremely important, 2 = Pretty important, 3 = Sort of important, 4 = Not at all important. Reverse coded.)

  • Get good grades.

  • Be involved in school activities

  • Finish high school

  • Continue your education past high school

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Chen, Zy., Dornbusch, S.M. & Liu, R.X. Direct and Indirect Pathways between Parental Constructive Behavior and Adolescent Affiliation with Achievement-Oriented Peers. J Child Fam Stud 16, 837–858 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-006-9129-7

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