Family Values: Assessing Reciprocal Effects on Longitudinal Change in Children's and Parents' Valuing of Math and Sports

Abstract

The present study investigated the bidirectional influence that children’s and parents’ task values in math and sports have on change in the task values of the other group from first grade to 11th grade. Using latent change score models, I found that fathers’ math value both positively and negatively influenced change in children’s math values from first grade to 11th grade, and children’s values both positively and negatively influenced change in both mothers’ and fathers’ math values from first grade to 11th grade, consistent with my hypotheses and some prior research. However, mothers’ math value did not impact change in children’s math value during the study period. In addition, both mothers’ and fathers’ sports values positively influenced change in children’s sports value, and children’s sports value positively influenced change inboth their mothers’ and fathers’ sports values. Findings in the sports domain indicated differences in how mothers’ and fathers’ values shape change in children’s values; namely that mothers have smaller but consistent effects whereas fathers have larger effects that occur during educational transitions. Supplementary analyses also suggest that children’s perceptions of their parents’ values in math and sports consistently and positively influence children’s own change in values from first grade to sixth grade. Possible explanations for these findings, as well as broader theoretical implications are discussed.