Week 10 - Parenting & Achievement II Flashcards
What is the moderator in the relationship between parents’ perceptions of children’s competence, and child’s academic and affective functioning?
Parents’ theories about the stability of competence
Was parents’ theories about the stability of competence a moderator between parents’ perceptions and child’s functioning? What are the key findings?
Mothers with high entity theories -> self-fulfiling prophecies for children’s academic and affective functioning
Mothers with low entity theories -> did not predict children’s academic and affective functioning
What are self-fulfilling prophecies?
Parents acting as interpreters of reality for children, guiding children towards the niches for which they are suited. Parents may communicate these perceptions to children, which may in turn influence children’s behavior in a manner consistent with parents’ perceptions.
How may parents’ perceptions shape children’s achievement?
- when parents perceive child as lacking academic talent, they may not help them develop skills to do well academically. Direct them to other arenas (eg. sports), which further impedes child’s academic development
- when parents perceive child as academically talented, they may provide more resources and opportunities for child to develop academic skills and foster achievement.
How may parents’ perceptions shape children’s affective functioning?
Parents may convey to children that their perceptions represent a reality that cannot be changed. Results in children feeling a lack of control, which is linked to development of depressive symptoms.
What is entity theory? (3)
- competence viewed as a fixed entity that cannot be changed
- emphasis on innate capacity; people can learn new things but underlying competence does not change
- failure is not attributed to lack of effort but lack of innate abilities. hence less likely to increase effort upon failure.
What is incremental theory?
- competence viewed as malleable, dynamic, and within one’s control
- can be developed through effort. emphasize exertion of effort toward mastery.
Mothers with entity theory tend to hold ____ goals for children. Mothers with incremental theory tend to hold _____ goals for children.
- performance: concerned with children demonstrating competence
- mastery: concerned with children developing competence
Why are parents holding entity theories more likely to create self-fulfilling prophecies?
These parents see children’s competence as reflecting their innate capacity and that this competence is fixed. Hence more likely to use these perceptions as a guide in interacting with children, resulting in children reacting in a way consistent with these perceptions. They are also more likely to ignore information that is inconsistent with their perceptions.
What was the relationship between mothers’ perceptions of child’s academic competence and child’s functioning?
Mothers’ perceptions of child’s academic competence → positively associated with child’s academic & affective functioning
Explain the key findings of this study.
Parents theories about the stability of competence moderated the relationship between their perceptions and the child’s academic and affective functioning (but more so for academic functioning). When mothers had low perceptions and high entity theory, children’s academic functioning suffers. When mothers had high perceptions and high entity theory, children’s academic functioning is better.
How does this study contribute to existing research?
1) indicates importance of broader belief systems in understanding the effects of mothers’ perceptions of child’s academic competence. Self-fulfilling prophecies were more evident in mothers who endorsed entity theories.
2) examined broader dimensions of children’s functioning including their performance attributions and mastery orientation.
3) replicated main effects of previous studies
Positive perceptions + Entity theory = Most Positive Functioning.
Since some children benefit from entity theory, does that mean parents with positive perceptions should be encouraged to hold entity theories?
Nope, it is possible that benefits may not hold when children’s competence is challenged. When children fail, they may interpret it as a lack of competence and become distressed. Hence, it’s still important to help parents develop incremental theories.
In what ways might high entity theory limit achievement?
Concerned with demonstrating abilities rather than developing abilities. Avoid challenge which interferes with their learning, limiting achievement.
Why is it important to examine the role of praise in day to day interactions?
Existing research often manipulate praise in the lab adminstered by unknown adults. results may not be generalised to real life settings where praise is given by significant others.
