Environments, Adolescents’ Aspirations and Young Adults’ Status Attainment

Abstract

Summary Regression surface analysis was used to examine relationships among adolescents’ perceptions of parents’ support for learning, adolescents’ aspirations and their status attainment as young adults. The young adults were classifed into four family groups, defined conjointly by family social status and by early family socialisation practices. Longitudinal data were collected from 334 Australians who were 11‐, 16‐ and 21‐years‐old during three surveys. Regression models which included terms to test for linear, interaction and curvilinear associations among the variables were examined within each family group. The results suggested that children's family environments may be considered to act as critical underlying contexts for the formation of adolescents’ perceptions and aspirations of young adults’ status attainment.