The Role of Socioeconomic Status and Significant Other Influence in Determining Educational Aspirations : A Black-White Comparison of Southern High School Seniors / J. Steven Picou and Jerry P. Walker.

The primary objective of this study was an analysis of the differential influence socioeconomic status and "significant others" have on the educational aspirations of black and white youth. A causal model was developed from related theoretical and empirical research and was analyzed by path analytic techniques. The models revealed that the independent influence of significant others on educational aspirations is relatively stronger for the white respondents in the sample of more than 300 Southern high school adolescents. These and other findings suggest that significant others influence is not an important predictor of black youth's educational goals. The findings of this study also have various theoretical and methodological implications. It was noted that the model analyzed in this study omits many important variables which could be included with appropriate theoretical justifications. Attempts at developing more complex non-recursive models utilizing these data are currently underway and it was suggested that further research be conducted in this area. (Author/BW)

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