A HEAP of Parental Expectations: A Measure of Student Beliefs About Their Parents' Expectations

• In Event: AERA Poster Session 9
  In Poster Session: Motivation in Education SIG Poster Session: The Role of Parents, Peers, and Teachers

Abstract

Inconsistencies in how parental “expectations” are defined across measures is demonstrated in a systemic review. To reconcile these inconsistencies, the High Expectations for Academic Performance (HEAP) scale was developed to assess three different beliefs held by young adult students: 1) students’ beliefs about whether their parents think they are capable of earning A’s (ability beliefs) 2) students’ beliefs about whether their parents would predict that they would actually earn A’s (realistic predictions), and 3) students’ beliefs about whether their parents demand that they earn A’s (demands). The HEAP scale demonstrated good internal reliability, measurement invariance, and both convergent and discriminant validity. Notably, only the demand factor did not positively predict student GPA.

Authors

• Emily Hangen, Fairfield University

• Andrew J. Elliot, University of Rochester

• Jeremy Jamieson, University of Rochester