Abstract

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.

Keywords

PsychologyModerationDevelopmental psychologySocial psychologyValence (chemistry)Self-esteem

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Publication Info

Year
2003
Type
article
Volume
84
Issue
6
Pages
1188-1205
Citations
49
Access
Closed

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Cite This

Stephanie Madon, Max Guyll, Richard Spoth et al. (2003). The self-fulfilling influence of mother expectations on children's underage drinking.. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , 84 (6) , 1188-1205. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.84.6.1188

Identifiers

DOI
10.1037/0022-3514.84.6.1188