A Comparison of the Responses of Junior High Children and Their Parents to A Questionaire Regarding Children's Preferences and An Analysis of Resulting Parent-Child Interaction

AbstractThe purpose of the study was to determine how well the parents' perceptions of their child's preferences actually agree with the child's preferences. Also, the study attempted to determine the extent of interaction between the parent and child stimulated by comparison of the parents' perceptions and the child's preferences. Two hundred twelve, seventh and eighth grade students and 351 parents were involved in the study. A twenty-item, multiple-choice questionaire was developed by education professors and junior high teachers and administered to all subjects in a group setting. A second questionaire asking parents to answer the questionsas they felt their child would respond was sent home by each junior high student. Comparison of the child's questionaire with the parents questionnaire revealed that the parents selected the same answer as the child only 58 per cent of the time. Interaction between parents and their child was stimulated by being involved in the study.