ABSTRACT
Aspirations have been described as personal goals or “possible selves” (Markus & Nurius, 1986, p. 954), distinct from expectations as they reflect what someone would like to achieve rather than what they think they will achieve. Aspirations, especially in adolescence, can be important because they may influence choices, decisions, and activities, which in turn affect subsequent accomplishments (Bandura, Barbaranelli, Caprara, & Pastorelli, 2001; Croll, Attwood, & Fuller, 2010; Gutman, Schoon, & Sabates, 2012; Hill et al. , 2004; Schoon, Martin, & Ross, 2007). Although researchers have pointed to the adverse effects of unrealistically high aspirations (Gorard, Huat See, & Davies, 2012), most evidence suggests that high aspirations are, in general, associated with later positive outcomes. But if children’s aspirations can determine their outcomes, what predicts aspirations? In the sections that follow, we discuss the individual, family, and contextual antecedents of aspirations. We begin with a brief overview of how aspirations develop.
