Examining the components and concomitants of parental structure in the academic domain

Self-Determination Theory posits and research supports that caregiver autonomy support, involvement, and structure facilitate children’s motivation and well-being. However, to attain a comprehensive understanding of these caregiving behaviors and thus make informed practical recommendations, their k...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Motivation and emotion 2010-09, Vol.34 (3), p.266-279
Main Authors: Farkas, Melanie S., Grolnick, Wendy S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Academic achievement
Adjustment
Autonomy
Behavior
Behavioral Science and Psychology
Carers
Clinical Psychology
Feedback
Motivation
Original Paper
Parent participation
Parents
Parents & parenting
Personality and Social Psychology
Psychology
Regulation
Wellbeing
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Summary:Self-Determination Theory posits and research supports that caregiver autonomy support, involvement, and structure facilitate children’s motivation and well-being. However, to attain a comprehensive understanding of these caregiving behaviors and thus make informed practical recommendations, their key components must be identified. While a significant literature examines autonomy support and involvement, structure has been less extensively researched. This study thus attempted to provide an in-depth exploration of parental structure. Drawing from past literature, six components were identified. Seventy-five seventh and eighth graders completed semi-structured interviews and students and parents completed questionnaires assessing structure, other parenting dimensions, and motivational outcomes in the academic domain. Findings indicate that structure (a) is multi-faceted, (b) is independent from autonomy support, and (c) makes unique contributions to children’s motivation and school performance. Implications for providing facilitative contexts for children’s motivation and success as well as for future work are discussed.
ISSN:0146-7239
1573-6644
DOI:10.1007/s11031-010-9176-7