Parental Expectations, Academic Stress, and Academic Satisfaction in Premedical Students

Abstract

In this correlational study, we investigated the interplay among parental expectations, academic stress, and academic satisfaction in first- and second-year female premedical students (N = 100) using non-probability purposive sampling. Our hypotheses posited a positive association between parental expectations and academic stress, along with a negative relationship between parental expectations, academic stress, and academic satisfaction. Additionally, we hypothesized that both parental expectations and academic stress would predict academic satisfaction, and that parental expectations would influence academic satisfaction through its impact on academic stress. To assess these relationships, we utilized a self-constructed personal information sheet, the Living-up-to-Parental Expectation Inventory (Wang & Heppner, 2002), the Educational Stress Scale for Adolescents (Sun et al., 2011), and the Academic Life Satisfaction Scale (Nogueira, 2019). Our findings revealed a significant positive association between parental expectations and academic stress. Surprisingly, the relationship between parental expectations, academic stress, and academic satisfaction was non-significant. Mediation analysis using the Process revealed that parental expectations positively predicted academic stress, although neither parental expectations nor academic stress emerged as significant predictors of academic satisfaction. The implications of our study extend to the realms of educational psychology, as well as counseling for both students and parents. These results provide valuable insights into the intricate dynamics shaping premedical students' experiences, guiding future research and intervention strategies in the field.