Fig. 2: Standardized effects of conditional parallel-process latent growth curve model (Conditional PP-LGCM) of youths’ educational expectations and science performance in prediction of successful completion of a STEM degree (Model 3 A).

Note. For model fit, CFI = 0.997, RMSEA = 0.026, SRMR = 0.011. InpEdExp = Intercept Factor of Youths’ Educational Expectations; SlpEdExp = Slope Factor of Youths’ Educational Expectations; InpScPef = Intercept Factor of Youths’ Science Performance; SlpScPef = Slope Factor of Youths’ Science Performance. Dotted arrows are the effects of youths’ gender, family composition, parental SES, and ethnicity on the intercept and slope factors of youths’ expectations and science performance in middle school years and their STEM degree attainment in adulthood. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001.