Stress: A Predictor of Parent Academic Involvement

• In Event: 61.087 - Poster Session 12
  In Poster Session: 61.087-7 - Division E: Human Development Session 1

Abstract

Even though Mexican-origin parents face high levels of stress, and parental involvement predicts achievement—the link between these is under examined. This study tested this association, and the moderating role of generational status. Caretakers (N=428) of early high school students from Los Angeles completed quantitative surveys. Regressions showed that stress experienced by parents (e.g., financial strain, discrimination, depression) was linked with lower levels of involvement at school and at home, controlling for parental education, income, adolescent school and grade. Interaction analyses revealed that second and third generation parents were less likely to be involved when facing certain stressors. Given the lower levels of academic success and the rapid growth of Mexican-origin adolescents, understanding how stress impedes parent involvement is imperative.

Authors

• Daisy E Camacho, University of California - Los Angeles

• Cari Gillen-O'Neel, Macalester College

• Nancy Gonzales, Arizona State University

• Andrew J. Fuligni, University of California - Los Angeles