Maternal Predictors of Early Adolescent Achievement-Related Outcomes

Abstract

Investigated in the present study was the association between maternal parenting practices and school and developmental achievements among early adolescents. Guided by theories and previous research on gender differences, of special interest in the present study was whether and how adolescent gender would moderate the association between individual parenting practices (warmth, monitoring, psychological autonomy giving) and adolescent school and developmental achievements (school grades and psychosocial maturity). Fifty-eight early adolescents participated in the study; all adolescents were attending or had just completed eighth grade. Results indicated that monitoring made the largest individual contribution to school grades and psychosocial maturity and that gender moderated the association between two of the three parenting practices and adolescent psychosocial maturity. Specifically, the associations between warmth and psychological autonomy giving and psychosocial maturity were stronger for girls than for boys. The importance of examining individual parenting practices as well as explanations for the moderating effect of gender are discussed.