Family Facts: Social Science Research on Family, Society & Religion

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This finding looks at the relationship between adolescents' having a father as a role model and their academic achievement and behavior.

The benefits of looking up to a father as a role model are evident in academic achievement. Adolescents with paternal role models had better grades and other school performance than those lacking paternal role models. Black males who identified their fathers as their role model maintained a significantly higher grade point average and reported significantly less truancy than peers who identified a member of the extended family as a role model or lacked a role model. Those with paternal role models were also more likely to believe that they would graduate from high school than peers who had no male role model. Those with no role models exhibited the most behavioral problems and did the worst in school. Among black female students, those who identified a brother rather than their father as their male role model were significantly more likely to use alcohol and exhibit violent behavior than peers with paternal role models.

Sample or Data Description
The sample consisted of 679 African-American students enrolled in urban Michigan high schools.

Source
"Role Models and Psychosocial Outcomes Among African-American Adolescents"
Bryant, Alison L.
and Zimmerman, Marc A.
Journal of Adolescent Research Vol. 18, Number 1. , 2003. Page(s) 36-67.

FindingID: 5116