title: Emotional autonomy and problem behavior among Chinese adolescents.
abstract: The author examined the association between emotional autonomy and problem behavior among Chinese adolescents living in Hong Kong. The respondents were 512 adolescents, 16 to 18 years of age, who were interviewed for a cross-sectional study. Three dimensions of emotional autonomy including individuation, nondependency on parents, and de-idealization of parents were significantly and positively correlated with the amount of problem behavior the participants engaged in during the past 6 months. Using a simple linear multiple regression model, the author found that problem behavior was associated with only one aspect of emotional autonomy-individuation. Results indicated that the relationship between problem behavior and three aspects of emotional autonomy was similar in both individualistic and collectivistic societies.
authors.affiliation: Sau Po Centre on Aging, University of Hong Kong, China. klchou@hku.hk
authors.forename: Kee-Lee
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Chou
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000208:ethnology*; D044466:Asian People / Q000523:psychology*; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003858:Dependency, Psychological; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D007207:Individuation; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D010555:Personality Inventory; D012718:Set, Psychology; D012907:Smoking / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D012920:Social Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology