Perceived parenting and social support: can they predict academic achievement in Argentinean college students.

GUADALUPE DE LA IGLESIA; AGUSTÍN FREIBERG HOFFMANN; MERCEDES FERNÁNDEZ LIPORACE

Psychology Research and Behavior Management

Dove Medical Press

Lugar: Auckland; Año: 2014 vol. 7 p. 251 - 259

1179-1578

This study outlined and tested a model to predict academic achievement in a mandatory entry class for college in a sample of 354 Argentinean students. It posed indirect effects of perceived parenting on achievement through the perception of social support. Parenting was assessed regarding the mother and the father, considering two dimensions: responsiveness and demandingness. Perceived social support was analysed by means of four sources: parents, teachers, classmates and best friend or boyfriend/girlfriend. Results showed that, as hypothesized, responsiveness favoured achievement. Demandingness behaved differently for every parent. In the mother model it had a positive direct effect on achievement. Instead, for the father the effect was negative and indirect thorough the perception of social support. Teachers were the only source of perceived social support which significantly predicted achievement: the pathway from perceived teacher support to academic achievement was positive and direct. Implications for possible interventions are discussed.