A Study On Autonomy And The Relations Between Autonomy And Socially Maladaptive Behaviors Of Middle-school Students

The middle school stage is one crucial for the development of adolescent autonomy, which plays a significant role in adolescent Social adjustment and healthy growth.This research is based on previous researches, through interviews and semi-open inventory survey, using item analysis and explorative factor analysis from 384 predietion questionnaires. The validity and reliabilty of the formal questionnaire are verified through the exploratory factor and confirmative factor analysis from 396 students. Analysis confirms that there are 4 dimensions in middle-school students'automomy structure: self-confidence,behavioral autonomy,cognitive autonomy and emotional autonomy.This study is intended to use the middle-school students'automomy questionnaire to find out the characteristics of middle-school students'automomy and the relationship between automnomy and socially maladaptve behaviors. The findings are as follows:First, there is significant difference among different grades in middle-school students'autonomy level.In the emotional autonomy dimension, the highest level lies in that of junior-two students; they also shows higher self-confidence level than junior-three,senior-one and senior-two students; besides,they show higher behvioral autonomy level than junior-one,junior-three and senior-one students; however, senior-two and senior-three students show significantly higher behvioral autonomy level than senior-one students.Second, Middle-school students'autonomy level is significantly different in gender. Female students show higher autonomy level than male sthents but the gender differences are not significant except that in the behavioral autonomy demension, where females are significantly better than males.Third, there are age differences in middle-school student autonomy. Students aged 13 and 14 have higher autonomy level than those aged 11,12,15 and 16. Students aged 13-18 have higher cognitive autonomy level than those aged 11 and 12. Also, students aged 13 and 14 show significantly higher self-confidence level than those aged 11 and 12.Fourth, family structures have significant impact on student autonomy. In the dimension of emotional and cognitive autonomy, students from bigger families are of significantly higher level than those from recombined families. Students from nuclear families are of significantly higher level than those from single-parent and recombined families. In terms of self-confidence, those from nuclear and bigger families are significantly more confident than students from single-parent families. Those from nuclear families also show better behavioral autonomy than those from single-parent families. Fifth, there are also significan autonomy differences between students from urban areas and those from rural areas. Students from rural areas show significantly higher autonomy level than those from urban areas in terms of behavioral autonomy and self-confidence.Sixth, non-only children have significantly higher autonomy level than only ones in behavioral autonomy and self-confidence while differences in their parents'educational background have no significant influence on their autonomy development.Seventh, there is significant negative correlation between autonomy and socially maladaptive behaviors. The higher autonomy level, the lower social misfit level.