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Decision Making By Children

Author

Listed:
  • Shelly Lundberg
  • Jennifer Romich
  • Kwok Ping Tsang

Abstract

In this paper, we examine the determinants of decision-making power by children and young adolescents. Moving beyond previous economic models that treat children as goods consumed by adults rather than agents, we develop a noncooperative model of parental control of child behavior and child resistance. Using child reports of decision-making and psychological and cognitive measures from the NLSY79 Child Supplement, we examine the determinants of shared and sole decision-making in seven domains of child activity. We find that the determinants of sole decision-making by the child and shared decision-making with parents are quite distinct: sharing decisions appears to be a form of parental investment in child development rather than a simple stage in the transfer of authority. In addition, we find that indicators of child capability and preferences affect reports of decision-making authority in ways that suggest child demand for autonomy as well as parental discretion in determining these outcomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Shelly Lundberg & Jennifer Romich & Kwok Ping Tsang, 2007. "Decision Making By Children," Working Papers UWEC-2007-24, University of Washington, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:udb:wpaper:uwec-2007-24
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    File URL: http://csde.washington.edu/lundberg/papers/DecisionMakingByChildren_072307.pdf
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    JEL classification:

    • D1 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth

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