Homophily Effects of Parental Second-Order Expectations on Students' Educational Goals

• In Event: 606 - Section on Social Psychology Roundtable Session (co-sponsored with Section on Sociology of Emotions)
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 02. Education

Abstract

In this paper, we examine the effects of perceived parental expectations on students’ self-expectations for educational attainment. Our research is framed within the Expectation States Theoretical tradition. Using nationally representative survey data from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002, we analyze the predictors of student first order-expectations for advanced degrees in education. While Second-Order Expectation theory provides a conceptual framework, our hypotheses are informed by the principle of homophily in gender identity and behavioral expectations’ formation. Our results suggest that students’ self-expectations for advanced education are positively influenced by what they think both parents expect. However, the effect of maternal second-order expectations is stronger for girls. Interestingly, paternal expectations do not have analogous gender-differentiating effect. In addition, father’s higher educational attainment exerts stronger influence on boys than on girls, suggesting that boys aspire by example set by the same-sex parent. Mother’s educational attainment does not have gender-differentiating effect on students that father’s achievement does. We discuss implications of our findings for education and social psychological scholarship, calling for additional research on second-order expectations in natural settings.

Authors

• Jurgita Abromaviciute, University of Arizona

• Kendra L. Thompson-Dyck, University of Arizona