Autonomy in After-School Activity Choice Among Preadolescents From Taiwan and the United States

Abstract

The study examined boys’ and girls’ autonomy of choice of activities in the after-school hours with samples of children from two different countries. Preadolescent children from Taiwan ( n = 289) and the United States ( n = 195) completed a questionnaire on their usual after-school activities indicating who determines the choice of any particular activity and the extent to which the activity engendered positive affect. The two samples of children differed significantly with respect to the proportion of self-chosen time spent in particular activities (educational activities, organized activities, media use, and personal care and household chores) and overall. Patterns for the two genders were largely consistent across the two samples. Girls reported somewhat less choice in activities overall, and hanging out with peers specifically, whereas boys disclosed less choice in academic activities. However, it was found that for both samples and genders, proportion of autonomy in activities was positively related to reported enjoyment and inversely related to anxiety.