Adolescents’ Perceptions of Family Decision-Making and Autonomy in India, Australia and the United States

Abstract

As part of an ongoing investigation of the possibilities adolescents have for exercising choice, groups of high school boys and girls in small towns in India, the United States, and Australia responded to set of questions about their own autonomy. They indicated whether a variety of decisions about their actions and plans were primarily made by their mother, their father, another family member, someone outside the family, or themselves, and they reported their desires for independence. An analysis of variance with follow-up t-tests indicated that American and Australian youth perceive themselves as most autonomous, and Indian youth see the greatest influence by family members especially the father. Contrary to expectations, there were no overall sex differences in perceptions of autonomy. A second study in the same American community comparing decade changes showed a somewhat increased autonomy in later years. Suggestions for further conceptual and methodological developments are discussed.