Unpacking Moderators in the Path From Parental Knowledge to Educational Attainment and Job Satisfaction: A 15-Year Longitudinal Study

Educational attainment and job satisfaction are crucial milestones for a successful transition to adulthood. Parental knowledge of their adolescents’ lives may promote a positive trajectory toward such outcomes. However, the longitudinal associations between parental knowledge, educational attainment and job satisfaction might differ depending on the family context or on youth personal assets. Thus, this study examined potential moderators of these associations. The sample included 818 American youth recruited in early adolescence ( M age = 12.20 years, 46% girls, 43.5% European Americans, 27.6% African Americans, 28.9% Multiethnic or other) and followed up through adulthood ( M age = 28.93 years). Path analyses showed that parental knowledge predicts educational attainment among youth with higher academic achievement and those with lower levels of positive family relations. Parental knowledge was unrelated to job satisfaction. Results reveal the complex mechanisms through which family factors and personal assets interact while predicting a successful transition to adulthood.