Adolescents’ Stories of Decision Making in More and Less Authoritative Families

Abstract

Two studies used a narrative methodology to test the prediction that adolescents from more authoritative homes would exhibit greater responsiveness to parents’ views than would others. In Study 1, 51 Canadian adolescents in two age groups completed an interview to determine their levels of responsiveness to the parental voice in their narratives about advice from parents about specific decisions. Results showed a significant positive correlation between reports of an authoritative family parenting style and patterns of clearer appropriation of the parental voice as rated independently from students’ narratives. In Study 2, a sample of 184 Grade 12 students again showed a positive association between level of parent voice in stories and an authoritative family parenting style. In addition, a more advanced identity status was positively related to level of parent voice in stories, suggesting that a more sophisticated representation of both own and others’ voices may develop in concert.