Abstract
As the number of young people entering college increases, the factors that contribute to college success, both academically and emotionally, require further scholarly examination. Increasingly, college represents an important context for the transition to adulthood and adjustment during the transition to college is predictive of retention, academic success, and overall mental health functioning (Aseltine & Gore, 1993; Gerdes & Mallinckrodt, 1994). Thus, it is important to examine factors in adolescence that will predict successful adjustment during the transition to college. This study aimed to investigate the quality of the parent-adolescent relationship as it pertains to later social and academic adjustment for young adults in the first two years of college attendance. A sample of 54 (6 male, and 48 female) undergraduate students between the ages of 17 and 20 years (M=18.89, SD= 0.92) attending classes at California State University, Sacramento were recruited through visits to undergraduate classes. A demographic survey, the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment, Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale, and Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised Questionnaire was administered by means of a secure on line survey web site. Pearson correlations were used to examine relationships between demographic variables and study outcomes, and correlational analyses were similarly conducted to examine associations between parent-adolescent attachment and social adjustment, controlling for significant demographic variables. Results indicated that there were significant associations between the quality of mother-adolescent relationship and positive academic adjustment, such as academic satisfaction and keeping up with coursework, and higher levels of self-esteem. There were significant results with regards to the father-adolescent relationship, specifically, correlations between father-adolescent communication and finding academic work challenging, and an inverse relationship between father-adolescent alienation and self-esteem. Results of this study showed no significant link between the aspects of perceived parent-adolescent relationships, with regards to both mother and father relationships, and later qualities of relationship functioning. Limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed.