Relatedness Between Children and Parents

Abstract

A significant goal in many countries around the world is promoting children’s motivation so that they may achieve at their full potential. There is much evidence supporting the idea that parents play a significant role in either facilitating or undermining children’s motivation. The focus of this chapter is on how relatedness between children and their parents shapes the development of children’s motivation and ultimately achievement. Three sets of ideas about how relatedness between children and their parents contributes to children’s motivation are reviewed. An integration of the three sets of ideas is provided to highlight key themes as well as suggest innovative directions for future research.