Progress 10/01/00 to 09/30/05
Outputs
In this project, we examine (a) the beliefs and values parents want their children to adopt; (b) the ways in which parents attempt to communicate these beliefs and values to their offspring; and (c) the role that beliefs and values has on children's development and achievement. This year we began 2 studies of minority high school students' ethnic beliefs and values and the relations between these beliefs and students' school achievement. Data from the first cohort of Mexican American students were collected in the spring of 2002 and coded during the summer. Preparations for a study of Native American high school students' ethnic beliefs and values and the relations between these beliefs and students' school achievement were completed. Data collection began in fall 2002.
Impacts
Preliminary analyses of the Mexican American high school data replicate last year's study of Native American college students and provide further support of the hypothesis that developing a sense of bicultural efficacy -- the belief that one can function well in both minority and majority cultures -- serves as an important foundation for minority children's school achievement and overall well-being. The findings of the two Native American studies and the Mexican American high school study will provide the foundation for developing a school-based intervention to improve minority students' motivation for and engagement in school.
Publications
- Okagaki, L., & Bojczyk, K. E. (2002). Perspectives on Asian American development. In G. C. Nagayama Hall & S. Okazaki (Eds.) Asian American psychology: The science of lives in context (pp. 67-104). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
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Progress 10/01/00 to 09/30/01
Outputs
In this project, we seek to understand the beliefs and values parents want their children to adopt and the ways in which parents attempt to communicate these beliefs and values to their offspring. This year we completed a qualitative study of parental goals and childrearing strategies in families with middle school children. This study was an exploratory study of the role of religious beliefs in parenting. Data were analyzed, and a manuscript has been submitted for publication. In addition, we completed a study of Native American and European American college students' perceptions of their ethnic and academic identities, their beliefs about the instrumental importance of school, and their perceptions of their parents' beliefs about school. Compared to European-American students, Native American students believed more strongly in the instrumental importance of school, did not perceive their fathers to be as supportive of school, and expressed a stronger commitment to
their ethnic identity, a stronger affirmation and sense of belonging to their ethnic group, and more openness to people from other ethnic groups. For both Native-American and European-American students, perceptions of parents' and friends' attitudes toward school were positively correlated with students' academic identity and belief in the instrumental importance of school. For Native-American students, belief in bicultural efficacy was positively correlated with academic identity and instrumental importance of school. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that development of a bicultural efficacy is important for the development of a positive school identity.
Impacts
1) Our study of parental goals and childrearing strategies highlights the importance of religious beliefs as a source for the goals that parents have for their children. (2) The study of Native American college students provides evidence to support the hypothesis that developing a sense of bicultural efficacy -- the belief that one can function well in both minority and majority cultures -- serves as an important foundation for minority children's school achievement. Understanding bicultural efficacy is critical to helping educators develop strategies to support minority children's school achievement.
Publications
- Okagaki, L. (2001). Parental beliefs, parenting style and children's intellectual development. In E. L. Grigorenko & R. J. Sternberg (Eds.), Family environment and intellectual functioning: A life-span perspective (pp. 141-172). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum Associates.
- Okagaki, L. (2001). Triarchic model of minority children's school achievement. Educational Psychologist, 36(1), 9-20.
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Progress 10/01/99 to 09/30/00
Outputs
In this project, we seek to understand the beliefs and values parents want their children to adopt and the ways in which parents attempt to communicate these beliefs and values to their offspring. Interview data from mothers of middle school children have been collected and are being analyzed to identify the goals parents have for their child, the strategies they report using to encourage their child's development, and the ways in which religious beliefs are related to parenting and family activities. In addition, we applied Goodnow's (1992) two-step model of intergeneration agreement to parental socialization of ethnic identity. For many minority parents, helping their children develop strong ethnic identities is a high priority. Moreover, recent research suggests that minority students' beliefs about their ethnic identity and the perceptions others hold about their ethnic group may have profound effects on individuals' academic performance (e.g., Steele, 1997). Data
from young adults of Mexican-descent indicating that (a) the relation between parents' beliefs and young adults' beliefs was mediated by young adults' perceptions of their parents' beliefs and (b) the difference between young adults' beliefs and their parents' beliefs was a function of the accuracy of young adults' perceptions of their parents' beliefs and their desire to be like their parents were published (see below). This past year we also collected data on Native American and European American college students' perceptions of their ethnic and academic identities, their beliefs about the instrumental importance of school, and their perceptions of their parents' and friends' beliefs about school. Compared to European-American students, Native American students believed more strongly in the instrumental importance of school, did not perceive their fathers to be as supportive of school, and expressed a stronger commitment to their ethnic identity, a stronger affirmation and sense of
belonging to their ethnic group, and more openness to people from other ethnic groups. For both Native-American and European-American students, perceptions of parents' and friends' attitudes toward school were positively correlated with students' academic identity and belief in the instrumental importance of school. For Native-American students, belief in bicultural efficacy was positively correlated with academic identity, whereas instrumental importance of school was associated with parents' and friends' attitudes toward school. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that development of a bicultural efficacy is important for the development of a positive school identity.
Impacts
1) Our studies emphasize the importance of parents explicitly communicating their beliefs and values to their children. The relation between child's beliefs and parent's beliefs is mediated by the child's perception of the parent's beliefs. (2) For minority children, developing a sense of bicultural efficacy -- the belief that one can function well in both the minority and the majority cultures -- serves as an important foundation for minority children's school achievement.
Publications
- Okagaki, L., & Moore, D. K. (2000). Socialization of ethnic identity in families of Mexican descent. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 22 (2), 139-162.
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Progress 10/01/98 to 09/30/99
Outputs
As a society, we find ourselves grappling with deadly expressions of violence among our youth including, but certainly not limited to, the recent incidents of school violence in Colorado, Oregon, and Arkansas. We have increasing numbers of children and adolescents who engage in high-risk behaviors, such as drug use and early and unprotected sexual behaviors. For the most part, these behaviors and the values expressed through these behaviors are not those which parents desire for their children. In this project, we seek to understand the beliefs and values parents want their children to adopt and the ways in which parents attempt to communicate these beliefs and values to their offspring. In the past year, we have conducted, transcribed, and coded two sets of interviews with parents of middle school children to identify the goals parents have for their children and the strategies they are using to socialize their children. These data along with questionnaire data from
the parents are being analyzed to identify patterns of parenting strategies and parents' perceptions of the effectiveness of their parenting strategies. In addition, we applied Goodnow's (1992) two-step model of intergeneration agreement to parental socialization of ethnic identity. For many minority parents, helping their children develop strong ethnic identities is a high priority. Young adults of Mexican descent completed questionnaires on their ethnic beliefs, their perceptions of their parents' beliefs and their relationships with their parents. Parents of the young adults answered questions about their own ethnic beliefs and their childrearing goals and practices. The relation between parents' beliefs and young adults' beliefs was mediated by young adults' perceptions of their parents' beliefs. The difference between young adults' beliefs and their mother's beliefs was a function of the accuracy of young adults' perceptions of their mother's beliefs and their desire to be like
their mother. The difference between young adults' beliefs and their father's beliefs was a function of the accuracy of young adults' perceptions of their father's beliefs. These data show that it is not enough for children to want to share their parents' beliefs. Children must also have an accurate understanding of what their parents believe. If parents want their children to share their beliefs and values, then parents must help their children develop an accurate perception of what the parents believe.
Impacts
Our studies emphasize the importance of parents explicitly communicating their beliefs and values to their children. The relation between child's beliefs and parent's beliefs is mediated by the child's perception of the parent's beliefs. Parents who use multiple approaches to explicitly teach children about their beliefs have children who more accurately understand what their parents believe.
Publications
- Okagaki, L., & Bevis, C. (1999). Transmission of religious values: Relations between parents' and daughters' beliefs. Journal of Genetic Psychology, 160(3), 303-318.
- Okagaki, L., Hammond, K., & Seamon, L. (1999). Socialization of religious beliefs. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 20, 273-294.
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Progress 10/01/97 to 09/30/98
Outputs
In our society, the numbers of children and adolescents who engage in high-risk behaviors -- for example, drug use, violence, early and unprotected sexual behaviors -- are increasing. Parents want to know how to influence their children's values and decision-making processes and how to encourage values that will help children make wise decisions. In a study of young adults, their mothers, and their fathers, we examined factors that influence the accuracy of young adults' perceptions of their parents' values and their acceptance of these values. Parents who used multiple approaches to explicitly teach their children about their beliefs and values, supervised their children's religious and moral development, and modeled participation in religious activities had young adults who more accurately perceived their parents' values. This is important because the relation between parents' values and their children's values was clearly and strongly mediated by children's
perceptions of their parents' values. Second, young adults were more likely to adopt their parents' beliefs and values if they had a strong, positive relationship with their parents, if their parents had engaged in an authoritative parenting style when the young adults were growing up, and if parents had demonstrated that the values were important to them. These data support Goodnow's two-step model of value transmission. Pragmatically, our results suggest that parents who want their children to adopt their beliefs should use multiple teaching methods -- including explaining, modeling, and supervising children's behaviors -- to help their children develop accurate perceptions of their beliefs and values and adopt an authoritative parenting style to foster a warm relationship with their children. In addition, we began a study of the goals parents have for their children and the strategies they employ to help their children achieve these goals. The first set of interviews has been
conducted with the families in our study. The second and third interviews will be conducted during the current academic year.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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