Family (Dis)Advantage and Life Course Expectations

Area of Science:

• Sociology
• Developmental Psychology
• Health Outcomes Research

Background:

• Optimistic life assessments can improve outcomes, but their origins and differential impacts are debated.
• Theories conflict on whether optimism reflects privilege or stems from hardship.
• Existing research lacks clarity on how socioeconomic status influences adolescent optimism.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how family socioeconomic status (SES) shapes adolescents' expectations of life success.
• To differentiate between generalized life expectations (GLE) and intergenerational comparative expectations (ICE).
• To examine the combined and independent effects of GLE and ICE on adult outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal study analyzing adolescent expectations and adult outcomes.
• Distinction between generalized life expectations (GLE) and intergenerational comparative expectations (ICE).
• Statistical analysis of the relationship between family SES, adolescent expectations, and adult health, attainment, and well-being.

Main Results:

• Higher SES adolescents reported higher GLE but lower ICE.
• High GLE, particularly with low ICE, predicted better adult health, attainment, and well-being.
• These positive effects of high GLE were observed across socioeconomic strata, benefiting disadvantaged youth as much as advantaged youth.

Conclusions:

• Adolescent generalized life expectations (GLE) are influenced by socioeconomic status and predict positive adult outcomes.
• The combination of high GLE and low intergenerational comparative expectations (ICE) is particularly beneficial.
• Interventions promoting generalized optimism may be effective across diverse socioeconomic groups.