Perceived Social Relationships in Predicting Adolescents' Academic Motivation and Outcomes: Father Absence as a Moderator

• In Event: 45.025 - Looking at Motivation Across Childhood and Adolescence

Abstract

We aimed to examine how perceived teacher and peer relationships would predict adolescent students’ academic interest and self-concept, which in turn lead to different levels of achievement and subjective well-being at school. We also explored whether father absence moderated these predictive relationships. Results from 4274 Chinese middle school students revealed that the predictive utility of positive relationships on interest, self-concept and well-being was stronger than negative social relationships. In contrast, negative social relationships showed more influence on academic achievements. The predictive paths from teacher relationships to motivation and achievements were stronger than those from peer relationships. However, for father absence students, peers play a prominent role in helping them build self-concept which further lead to better achievement.

Authors

• Diyue Liu, East China Normal University

• Yi Jiang, East China Normal University

• Xiangdong Yang, East China Normal University

• Fangwen Wu, East China Normal University

• Yang Tao, The University of Hong Kong

• Zhenya Gao, East China Normal University