Positive Parenting During Adolescence and Career Success in Young Adulthood

Research findings suggested that positive parenting behaviors during adolescence continue to have lasting effects on children, even when they enter young adulthood; though few studies have investigated how positive parenting behaviors affect career success in young adulthood. Career success is central to young adults’ identity formation, life satisfaction, marital relations and mental health. In this study, we examine how positive parenting behaviors influence young adults’ career success. Using a large, nationally representative, and longitudinal sample, results from regression analyses suggested that positive parenting behaviors during adolescence were positively associated with young adults’ career outcomes, including career satisfaction, career autonomy, career commitment, and income. Furthermore, the association between positive parenting during adolescence and career success was mediated in part by education attainment in young adulthood.