PARENTAL REACTIONS ON SUCCESS OF THEIR CH ILDREN

In this study parental reactions on success of their children in schoo l were examined on the background of inconsistent evidence in attribut ion-related research. Dimensions and behavioral influences of causal a ttributions and influences of different context informations were spec ified. To test corresponding assumptions 249 parents were confronted w ith a questionnaire when they had to notice their childrens' test grad es. Results based on a confirmatory factor-analysis showed that parent s' causal attributions did not reflect a theory proposed structure but global teacher-, child-, parent- and subject related aspects. Whereas in a structural equation model (with LISREL) expectations and affecti ve reactions were only by-products, grade dependent causal attribution s and comparisons with achievement standards had significant effects o n parental reactions.