The self-fulfilling influence of mother expectations on children's underage drinking.
This research examined whether mothers' expectations about their children's drinking behavior influenced their children's future alcohol use through self-fulfilling prophecies. It also investigated whether children's self-esteem, family social class, or the valence of mother expectations moderated this process. Analyses of longitudinal data from 505 mother-child dyads yielded results consistent with a self-fulfilling prophecy. The inaccurate portion of mother expectations predicted children's future alcohol use after accounting for relevant control variables. Moderation analyses indicated that this effect was stronger among higher self-esteem children and when mother expectations were positively valenced (i.e., when mothers underestimated their children's future alcohol use). The findings are discussed in terms of parent-child relationship quality, peer influences, self theories, and out-group stereotypes.
Madon
Stephanie
S
Department of Psychology, Iowa State University, Ames 50011, USA. madon@iastate.edu
Guyll
Max
M
Spoth
Richard L
RL
Cross
Susan E
SE
Hilbert
Sarah J
SJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001290:Attitude; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012938:Social Perception