CHINESE AMERICAN ADOLESCENTS’ ACHIEVEMENT AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ADJUSTMENT: THE ROLE OF NEIGHBORHOOD AND PARENTING
Open Access
Author:
Wei, Wei
Graduate Program:
Psychology
Degree:
Master of Science
Document Type:
Master Thesis
Date of Defense:
November 12, 2017
Committee Members:
Dawn Paula Witherspoon, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor Kristin Ann Buss, Committee Member Jose Angel Soto, Committee Member
Keywords:
Neighborhood Chinese American Parenting Parental involvement in education Achievement Depressive Symptoms
Abstract:
This study explored the relationship between neighborhood (disadvantage, Chinese concentration, and social cohesion), parenting (parental home and school involvement, and parent-adolescent conflict) and Chinese American adolescents’ achievement and depressive symptoms. Data for this study were taken from the Early Adolescent Cohort study (EAC). A total of 221 Chinese American adolescents participated. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the relationship between neighborhood, parenting and Chinese American achievement and depressive symptoms as well as the mediating role of parenting. The results revealed that higher Chinese concentration was marginally but meaningfully related to lower achievement. Higher levels of parent-adolescent conflict were a powerful predictor of both lower achievement and higher levels of depressive symptoms. Moreover, results of the study revealed that parental home and school involvement were negatively influenced by neighborhood disadvantage. Compared to parents living in less disadvantaged neighborhoods, parents who resided in more disadvantaged neighborhoods were less involved in their youth’s learning at home and school.