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Associations Between Early Adolescent Relationships and Academic Achievement
by Rachel E. Davis
Faculty Advisor: Keryn Pasch, MPH, PhD
Adolescents’ perceptions of support in parent and peer relationships affect their academic achievement, which has short- and long-term implications for workplace success, social life, and health. Past research focused on the direct relationship between parent support and academic achievement, but the possibility of interactions, or moderating influences of peer support relationships has been unexplored. Further research that investigated the perceptions of parent support and peer support came from international settings and may not be generalizable to the United States due to differences in educational systems and socio-cultural practices. This study examined how perceived peer support acts as a potential moderator for the association between perceived parental support and academic achievement in U.S. students. Middle school students (N=702; 41.8% female) completed a self-report questionnaire including measures of parent support, peer support, grades, and value on academic achievement. The two-way interaction between parent support and academic achievement (value on academic achievement and grades), or grades, were examined in separate hierarchical regressions. Parents positively influenced objective grades-earned and subjective value the child placed on their academics. These results are consistent with research over parental influence in academic settings. Given the shifting nature of peer and parent relationships, future research should continue to explore these relationships and provide necessary recommendations for parents and school systems.