What if high expectations feel good? Perceived parental expectations, their meanings, and bulimic symptoms in Black and White college women

This study aimed to test an interactive model of perceived parental expectations and the meaning of those expectations in relation to bulimic symptoms in Black (n = 97) and White (n = 179) college women. Black young women reported higher parental expectations and attached more positive meanings to high parental expectations, in comparison to their White peers. There was an interactive effect for Black young women such that, in the context of perceived high parental expectations, interpreting high parental expectations as negative was associated with higher levels of bulimic symptoms whereas interpreting high expectations as positive was associated with lower levels of bulimic symptoms. However, no interactive effect emerged for White young women. The role of differences in cultural contexts is discussed.

► We examine the meaning of high expectations in relation to bulimic symptoms. ► High parental expectations perceived positively buffered against bulimic symptoms. ► This effect was found for Black, not White, college women.