How Important Are Parental Career Expectations? A Subtle and Long-Term Influence on Adolescents’ Career Aspirations

Perceived parental expectations of adolescents have been linked to many high school consequences, yet few studies have examined the relationship between perceived parental expectations and adolescents’ career aspirations, and potential mechanisms that underlie these associations. To address this research gap, this study investigated the reciprocal relationship between perceived parental expectations and career aspirations, as well as the mediating role of adolescents’ career exploration among Chinese adolescents. Using a longitudinal design, a total of 2540 senior high school students (51.38