Adolescents’ and parents’ future beliefs

We investigated how adolescents’ and parents’ future beliefs, i.e. their goals and probability estimations (regarding future career, social and family life) were (1) structured, (2) interrelated, and (3) whether adolescents’ perceived family interaction mediated parents’ and adolescents’ beliefs, among 239 11–16-year olds and 197 parents. Using structural equation models we found that (a) goals were similarly structured, but unrelated, suggesting cultural transmission of goals and autonomous goal setting for adolescents, (b) probability estimations were differently structured, and related, suggesting different perceptions of opportunities, and (c) family interaction mediated the relationship between parents’ probability estimations and adolescents’ future beliefs, reflecting the role of the family for adolescents’ future co-planning.