Chinese Adolescents in Social Transition: Chinese Adolescents' Involvement in the Family Decision Making and the Parent-adolescent Communication and Relationship

In this survey study, the author examined the level of Chinese adolescents' involvement in the family decision-making processes, and its association with the patterns of the parent-adolescent communication and the conflict level of the parent-adolescent relationship. Seven hundred and sixty-eight Chinese adolescents and their parents participated in the study. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data, which included testing both the measurement model and the structural model. Chinese adolescents reported the highest input in decisions regarding homework and allowances, and the least input in the curfew time. Chinese parents in this study were observed to be less authoritarian than what was reported in the literature. The survey results showed more open communication between parents and adolescent children was significantly related to fewer conflicts experienced by both parents and children.