Parental involvement and general cognitive ability as predictors of domain-specific academic achievement in early adolescence

Numerous studies showed that general cognitive ability (GCA) is a reliable predictor of academic achievement. In addition, parental involvement in their children's academic development is of major importance in early adolescence. This study investigated the incremental validity of parental involvement over GCA in the prediction of academic performance within the domains of math and language. We examined four dimensions of perceived parental involvement: autonomy supporting behavior, emotional responsivity, structure, and achievement-oriented control. Results from a sample of 334 adolescents (mean age = 12.4, SD = .9, range = 10–14 years) showed that GCA was the strongest predictor of achievement in both domains. While autonomy support and emotional responsivity had no predictive value over GCA, high levels of achievement-oriented control and structure were detrimental to academic success. These findings provide new evidence for the significance of parental involvement in their children's achievement in school even after the most powerful predictor of academic success has been accounted for.

► Both general cognitive ability and parental involvement contribute to achievement. ► Autonomy support and emotional responsivity had no predictive value. ► High levels of control and structure were detrimental to academic achievement. ► Parental involvement had incremental validity over cognitive ability.