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Based on data from a six-year study of over 800 families of academically talented students, the large majority of sixth-grade students (i.e., 98%) indicate that their family is usually caring and supportive. Most importantly, this finding was consistent three and even six years later. Students not only felt that their parents were supportive, the majority (i.e., 86% or more) also felt that parents’ approval was important. This finding was consistent over the six-year period. Ablard, K. E. (2004). The Developmental Study of Talented Youth (DSTY): Six-Year Trends (Tech. Rep. No. 31). Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University, Center for Talented Youth. top
In a multi-year, longitudinal study of about 800 families of academically talented students, a large majority (85.5%) of parents reported being either somewhat involved (45.5%) or very involved (40%) in their child's school. The majority of parents felt that it was very important for their child to attend a top-level college/university (73%) and be highly successful in his/her profession (81%). However, only 39 percent of students reported that they feel "a lot of pressure from their parents to always be an exceptional student." This relatively low percentage appears to be related to the fact that so many of the students (99%) felt confident of their academic abilities, that is, they believed they could meet the high expectations of their parents. Ablard, K. E., Hoffhines, V. L., & Mills, C. J. (1996). Parents' Values and Children's Perceived Pressure (Technical Report No. 13a), Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University, Center for Talented Youth. top
This study examined whether parents' conceptions of academic success fostered feelings of pressure in their children. Findings reveal that 56 percent of the parents defined academic success with external standards; e.g., performance beyond one's peers or attainment of socially recognized achievements such as college admission and employment in a high-status job. Emphasis on external standards appears to have its advantages, such as encouraging students to demonstrate high performance in school through good grades and test scores, leading to future college admission, and eventually employment in a prominent career. Although many of the parents evaluated academic success by external standards, one-half of this group simultaneously emphasized internal standards. In other words, they also defined academic success as relative to the individual: enjoyment, setting and attaining personal goals, motivation, working toward one's potential, being curious and inquisitive, and trying one's best. By emphasizing both types of standards, parents convey to their children that outstanding performance is important to success, but personal satisfaction and trying one's best are also important, a balance that appears to alleviate feelings of pressure. Ablard, K. E. (1997). Parents’ conceptions of academic success: Internal and external standards. The Journal of Secondary Gifted Education, 8(2), 57-64. top
Parents were asked to list goals they had for their child's achievement and the responses were classified as pertaining to a learning goal, a performance goal, both, or neither. A learning goal was assigned if parents predominantly focused on their child's understanding of material and improvement in performance. Twenty-eight percent of all parent pairs (both mother and father) had a learning goal. A response was classified as a performance goal if parents predominantly focused on their child's competence and attainment of socially set standards (e.g., high grades and test scores). Eleven percent of all parent pairs had a performance goal. The remaining sixty-one percent of parent pairs consisted of one parent with a learning goal and the other parent with a performance goal. Children for whom both parents had a performance goal were more likely than children for whom both parents had a learning goal to have a combination of high concern about mistakes, parental expectations, and parental criticism as well as doubts about their own actions. Given the low percentage of parent pairs with a performance goal alone for their children, the findings of this study help to refute the popular belief that the majority of parents of academically talented children unrealistically push their children to excel. Ablard, K. E., & Parker, W. D. (1997). Parents’ achievement goals and perfectionism in their academically talented children. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 26, 651-667. See Topical Series #4 integrating the above research. top Last updated 8/9/2008 | 
