HIGH POINT, N.C., Sept. 8, 2015 – High Point University Associate Professor Kirsten Li-Barber shared research at the American Psychological Association Conference in Toronto on the direct and indirect impact parenting can have on college students’ academic success.
In her research, Li-Barber collected information about students’ grades, their perception of their mother and father’s care and involvement, and their own motivation for learning.
The results indicate that while parenting behaviors do not have a direct relationship on grades, over-involvement can lead to students having lower levels of motivation and valuing learning less, which may in turn affect their overall academic success.
“Parents want the best for their children, and sometimes the desire to see them succeed can make it difficult to know when to let them try, and possibly fail, on their own,” Li-Barber says. “Parents provide a strong foundation of support and guidance, but effective learning strategies and the ability to cope with failure and success can only be developed through personal experience. For parents, learning to let go is sometimes just as important as knowing when to step in.”
Li-Barber’s presentation was a part of her ongoing study of “helicopter parenting” and other parental behaviors and their impact on college success.
“High Point University’s support of faculty research is what makes all of this possible,” she says. “Providing faculty with the means to sustain on-going research is part of what keeps us relevant in our fields as well as in the classroom, and provides us opportunities to help educate parents and their children.”