What you see is what you get: The role of early adolescents’ perceptions in the intergenerational transmission of academic values

The present research addresses processes involved in academic value transmission within family. Drawing on expectancy x value and social learning theory, a two-wave longitudinal study based on data from 1014 students, 878 mothers, and 748 fathers was conducted to examine the mechanisms of parental influence. Structural equation modeling provided evidence for a multi-step mediation process. Predictions of the parents’ academic values on students’ values were shown to be mediated through parents’ actual and student-perceived parental school involvement. Students’ perceptions of the parents’ academic values, inferred from the perceived involvement, in turn, predicted students’ own values. In the discussion, the central role of students’ perceptions in these processes is emphasized.

► We showed a parent to adolescent transmission of academic values over time. ► This transmission was mediated through the adolescent perceived parental values. ► These perceptions were based on observing actual parental academic behaviors. ► Thus, students’ perceptions serve as a filter for a successful value transmission.